FAILURE OF THE GROUNDNUT SEASON"

Mr. Editor

I have refrained from commenting upon many of the previous erroneous
statements concerning this season's Groundnut Trade Season printed in your
newspaper. However, on this occasion I must rise to the challenge and take
issue with your "Good Morning, Mr President" article that appeared in
today's issue. Enough, Mr Editor, is enough !

I will continue, however to refrain from commenting on last year's debacle,
rather I shall concentrate on the facts of this season, facts being a
commodity in which you appear to have short supply at The Point.

In The Gambia, it is clear when a job is poorly done one gets crucified and
vilified. Unfortunately, when a job is well done the very same seems to be
the case. One is attacked ­ illogically ­ from every side. It is a very sad
occurrence in this wonderful Nation. That being said, this season's Trade
Season has been a HUGE success.

First, the marketable crop should be well above 45,000 tons perhaps close to
50,000 tons this season, up from last year's 42,000 tons, which was poorly,
not to mention late, marketed.

Secondly, we have to date, as Hilo Trading, purchased almost 38,000 tons
fully in line with our commitment to Government.

Thirdly, we have disbursed cash to farmers totaling D83 million with all
farmers paid regularly and indeed, with almost all farmers known debts
cleared as of February 28, 2001 ­ that is before Tabaski. In this light, I
would be pleased to know of the "thin cows", for one would have thought that
the opposite would be the case.

In addition, our records, now in the hands of independent "auditors",
clearly prove that Hilo had CASH at secco level well before the groundnuts
were delivered. Credit buying indeed!

Of course, the mathematicians at The Point might quite rightly calculate
that 38,000 tons x D2,600 (farm price) is more that D83 million. The
difference is made up of (a) purchases made from private traders amounting
to approximately D11.7 million ­ fully paid by Hilo and (b) a small amount
about to be settled pending final returns.

There remains, it is true a small balance. But we ourselves are waiting for
the final returns and we have committed to pay any small balance as and when
this is known (we expect this week). There is nothing sinister in this at
all (more so bearing in mind last year). This the reason why the
announcement reconfirmed that any nuts held at seccos would be paid for. We
can hardly pay for goods when we do not know the final figures. Now that the
season is almost over, all outstanding amounts ­ very small amounts ­ shall
be liquidated. One should also understand that historically shortages have
occurred and we are taking steps to verify those minor differences prior to
final cash disbursements.

It is a time-honored situation that farmers do withhold nuts for months
after the start of the trade season. I do not know why, but that is a
historical precedent.

Additionally, we have achieved record evacuation from the seccos to the
river depots and to Denton Bridge, record volume of shelling and record
volume of exports.

Perhaps the word "failure" has different connotations to those at The Point.
In my view, this season has been a resounding, not to mention, amazing
success.

Of course, we cannot comment as to the veracity of any other player in the
trade season. Perhaps there may be debts out there about which we know
nothing and over which we have no control. But I made certain commitments on
behalf of Hilo Trading and I believe we have discharged them to the very
best interests of the Gambian farmer.

I shall naturally refrain from commenting on matters political you have
raised within your article, for this is not my business nor concern.

I should also like to state: that at all times, Hilo Trading has been fully
committed to working closely with the farmers of The Gambia. We fully
recognize the social and economic responsibility toward this wonderful
country and its farmers. Having met hundred, if not thousands of farmers
during this season, I have yet to be told personnaly of a major problem, or
indeed any problem that we have not been able to immediately rectify.
Perhaps the people of The Gambia should be under no illusions. The
procurement, payment, evacuation, processing and marketing of this country's
largest cash crop is far from easy. The participants involved with Hilo
Trading have achieved nothing short of a miracle this season, and this has
been achieved through hard work, diligence and honesty. It is therefore a
little tough to swallow being told that we were "unable to fulfill an
activity as programmed"; this does not give credit to the enormous hard work
of all involved this season, particularly the staff at Denton Bridge who
have worked their hearts out for the country and its farmers.

Finally, your comments about Senegal are equally ill-informed. The situation
in Senegal is chaotic and explosive. A huge crop, very little financing, a
mountain of last season's material plus a veritable lake of old oils has led
to a collapse in world oil prices. It remains to be seen what effect this
huge current crop ­ 600-800,000 tons as variously estimated ­ will have in
the months ahead.

In closing, Mr Editor, it would be nice if you wrote the real facts to hand
and not to criticize on the basis of a "little knowledge" which, as you
know, is a very dangerous thing.

I remain,

Yours respectfully,

Alan D. Collins President, Hilo Trading Gambia Ltd

EDITOR'S NOTE Good Morning Sir,

First of all, we wonder why you took it upon yourself to reply to our piece
for which you have no right of reply journalistically speaking. But we
respect people's views and we do not claim to have the monopoly of truths or
opinions. Our piece was directed to Government as the overall facilitator in
this business. But, we have obliged you as you can see. Now on to your
piece.

We have never published erroneous statements on this groundnut season. Our
reporters travelled to the provinces and wrote articles with the grievances
and names of the farmers that utter them. We have also reproduced statements
on the issue made by members of the National Assembly. You have refrained,
you said, from commenting on last year's season but you did not fail to
describe it as a debacle, yourself. You said we are short of supply in terms
of facts.

Our Good Morning Mr. President dealt with aspects of the release from the
Department of Agriculture that we found prejudicial to the farming
community. The Department admitted that groundnuts are still not paid for,
and that is a fact. We have also dealt with the admission of the Department
that groundnuts are still in the hands of farmers, and that's again a fact.
We have amplified all this in your piece. "There remains it is true, a small
balance " You again stated We can hardly pay... figures." and again "Now
that the season is almost over all outstanding amounts very small amounts
will be liquidated". Mr. Collins as you see we do not need to hoard facts
because the farmers, Members of Parliaments, the release and your own
rejoinder supplied them to us. And truly all these shotcomings point to a
failure as we stated.

You almost blamed the farmers for withhoding nuts after the start of the
season and you added "I do not know why, but that is the historical
precedence". Maybe you do not know. Everybody knows why for the simple
reason that they themselves said it.

All the newspapers have published stories about farmers being reluctant to
take their nuts to secco because of credit buying or late payment!

Now let's talk about your own performance. Your 38,000 tons are no news to
us because they date to December 2000 and we are in April 2001? You told us
that information in the company of Modou Dibba two months ago when we met at
the Banjul Ferry Terminal. (This, you have in fact confirmed in our
yesterday's telephone conversation). So, What have you been doing all this
time?

Reading your piece, it informed us that the season was a HUGE success for
Hilo Trading but you could not comment on the veracity of any other player.
What sort of a businessman are you if you do not know your competitors have
in their sleeves in this open market? Don't forget that you have also
admitted that small amounts (that we have quantify as D6 million) are still
owed. These statements cast a shadow of doubt on your commitment to "working
closely with the farmers of the Gambia". More so when you said I have yet to
personally be told of a major problem, or indeed any problem that we have
not been able to immmediately rectify."

On the time factor, We believe you are familiar with what is taught is your
schools, Time is Money and Time Management: But let us see what you had to
say about the failure to respect a stipulated time frame. You began by
saying that " the procurement, payment, evacuationm, processing and
marketing this country's largest cash crop is far from easy" yet you blame
us for pointing to the delay registered. As for your comments about Senegal,
they are yours? We were not interested in their huge crop but we know that
Mustapha Niasse (before his removal by Wade) secured, partly from their
social security scheme, billions of cfa francs to salavage the situation



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