Gambia Disburses Over $24 Million to Purchase Groundnuts for 2025/2026 Trade Season

The Gambia government, through the National Food Security, Processing and Marketing Corporation (NFSPMC), has disbursed D1.67 billion (over $24 million) to purchase 43,524 metric tonnes of groundnuts as part of efforts to encourage local food production.

The investment marks one of the country’s most significant annual commitments to rural livelihoods and national food security.

Speaking on the accumulated disbursement, Senior Manager of NFSPMC, Mr Lamin Fofana, noted that the government has so far disbursed over D1.32 billion to Savings and Credit Cooperative Societies (Seccos) and paid approximately D351 million to private traders for the purchase of groundnuts.

According to him, the total deliveries received at NFSPMC’s official depots stand at 39,758 metric tonnes – 30,976 metric tonnes from Seccos and 8,782 metric tonnes from private traders.

Aggregate groundnut purchases, he said, amount to D1.67 billion, covering a total quantity of 43,524 metric tonnes from both Seccos and private traders.

Groundnuts, the country’s most important cash crop, remain central to household incomes across The Gambia’s farming belt, supporting tens of thousands of smallholder farmers and sustaining local economies during the dry season.