Muhammed Njie, the Managing Director of The Gambia Groundnut Corporation (GGC) now called National Food Security Processing and Marketing Corporation (NFSPMC)
By Ramatoulie Jawo
Muhammed Njie, the Managing Director of the National Food Security Processing and Marketing Corporation (NFSPMC), formerly known as The Gambia Groundnut Corporation (GGC), informed the National Assembly’s Agriculture select committee that his organization has imported a total of 26,838 metric tons of rice this year.
Mr. Njie made this statement during their appearance before the National Assembly’s Agriculture select committee on Tuesday, where they provided an update on matters related to the trading season, fertilizer distribution, and the current rice sales by the NFSPMC.
“The National Food Security Processing and Marketing Corporation imported twenty-Six Thousand eight Hundred and Thirty-Eight Metric Tons (26, 838M) of rice this year as part of the government’s efforts in ensuring food security and to stabilize the price of basic commodities.
“To ensure accessibility of this rice to all Gambians, especially those in the rural areas, the corporation is selling the rice through Eighty-Five (85) Cooperatives Primary Marketing Societies (CPMSs) across the country,” he told the committee.
Mr. Njie confirmed the signing of contracts with private traders aimed at offering rice at an accessible price. He emphasized the corporation’s commitment to minimizing the rice margin in order to ensure affordability for all citizens and residents of the country.
Njie also pointed out that the National Food Security Processing and Marketing Corporation has begun preparations for the 2023/2024 groundnut trade season.
“As part of the ministry’s inclusive approach in decision-making surrounding the groundnut trade season, the corporation has organized a meeting to be held in the first week of November 2023 with farmers and key stakeholders including government authorities to discuss the prices of the groundnut and other relevant issues for the upcoming season,” he informed the committee.
He expressed that the upcoming meeting would provide them with a chance to listen to the concerns and aspirations of farmers. Most importantly, it would enable them to gather farmers’ input on setting the price for the groundnuts they intend to sell to the government.
He also mentioned that the National Food Security Processing & Marketing Corporation (NFSPMC) had received a supply of 35,000 metric tons of fertilizer for the 2023/2024 cropping season.
“Fifteen Thousand Metric Tons (15, 000MT) of this fertilizer was procured and supplied by the World Bank through the GIRAV project under the Central Project Coordinating Unit of the Ministry of Agriculture,” he told the committee.