Agriculture Minister Sabally Rebuts Essa Faal’s €19 Million Claim, Calls It “Malicious and False”

By Makutu Manneh

The Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, and Food Security, Demba Sabally, has strongly rejected claims by APP-Sobeyaa leader Essa Mbye Faal that the government allocated €19 million to the agriculture sector this year, describing the assertion as “malicious and completely false.”

Mr. Faal, speaking recently in Foni, alleged that the government planned to spend €19 million on agriculture, although he did not clarify whether the figure referred to a national budget allocation or a specific funding envelope. His remarks were later challenged by Minister Sabally in a telephone interview with Kerr Fatou.

“In the 2026 budget, the government allocated D1,756,590,933, and if you translate that into U.S. dollars, it is $23,899,188. So his statement about 19 million is a lie,” the minister stated.

Minister Sabally further explained that the figure does not include donor-funded agricultural projects implemented under the ministry, which comprise about nine initiatives, including GIRAV, ROOTS, and REWARD. He noted that while these projects are supported by development partners, the Government of The Gambia bears their operational costs, as donor funding does not cover administrative expenses.

According to him, the combined value of donor-supported programmes and government contributions for 2026 stands at D5,758,423,801.

The minister also highlighted ongoing government investments in agricultural inputs, noting that contracts have been awarded for the procurement of 26,000 metric tonnes of chemical fertiliser and 10,000 metric tonnes of organic fertiliser, valued at approximately D1.4 billion.

He added that during the last trading season, the government procured over 50,000 metric tonnes of fertiliser, with payments totalling around D2 billion processed through Wave.