By Fatou Sillah
Members of the National Assembly have recommended a series of reforms aimed at strengthening the country’s groundnut marketing and processing systems, following a study visit to a major processing facility in neighboring Senegal.
The recommendations were presented to lawmakers on Thursday by Amie Colley, vice chairperson of the Select Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development, after members toured the facilities of SONACOS in the city of Kaolack.
Ms. Colley said the visit offered lawmakers a closer look at an integrated model for groundnut marketing and processing that could help guide reforms in The Gambia, where groundnuts remain a cornerstone of rural livelihoods and agricultural exports.
“The study visit to SONACOS provided valuable insights into an integrated and structured approach to groundnut marketing and processing,” she told lawmakers. “The experiences observed offer practical lessons that, if adapted appropriately, can contribute significantly to revitalizing The Gambia’s groundnut sector and enhancing rural development.”
She said the tour also strengthened the committee’s understanding of international best practices and would help inform its legislative oversight of the agricultural sector.
“Furthermore, the study tour was timely and highly beneficial,” Ms. Colley said. “It enhanced the committee’s understanding of best practices in groundnut processing and marketing and provided practical lessons that can support the committee’s legislative and oversight responsibilities.”
Among the committee’s key recommendations was the strengthening of Cooperative Produce Marketing Societies, commonly known as Seccos, under the supervision of the National Food Security Processing and Marketing Corporation.
The lawmakers urged the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock Services, and Food Security to improve the efficiency of the cooperative system while allowing licensed private buyers to operate under regulatory oversight.
“That the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock Services, and Food Security, through the NFSPMC, should strengthen Cooperative Produce Marketing Societies (Seccos) to procure and improve efficiency while at the same time licensing private buyers to operate under NFSPMC oversight,” she said.
The committee also called for greater investment in quality control systems across the groundnut supply chain, including laboratory screening equipment and improved infrastructure at depots and storage facilities.
Lawmakers recommended the introduction of systematic sampling and testing procedures to ensure that exported groundnuts meet international standards and are free from aflatoxin contamination.
“That the Ministry, through NFSPMC, should ensure that quality control is enhanced through investment in laboratories and screening equipment at depots, accompanied by systematic sampling and testing protocols to ensure clean and aflatoxin-free groundnuts,” she said.
Groundnuts have long been a central pillar of The Gambia’s agricultural economy, but the sector has faced persistent challenges in recent years, including marketing inefficiencies, quality control issues and post-harvest losses. Lawmakers said the reforms could help restore confidence in the industry and improve incomes for rural farmers.
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