By Ramatoulie Jawo
The National Assembly Members (NAMs) on Thursday adopted the report of the National Assembly Select Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development, following the committee’s visit to several Seccos that faced shortages during the 2023–2024 groundnut buying season across the country.
The purpose of the visit was to investigate the reported D32 million shortage in some Seccos, verify the groundnut purchase process followed by NFSPMC officials, assess the efficiency and transparency of the groundnut buying program, and identify areas for improvement in future purchasing seasons.
Presenting the report to the lawmakers, Hon. Omar Darboe, Chairperson of the Committee and Member for Upper Niumi Constituency, explained that the committee conducted the field visit in response to alarming findings from the National Food Security Processing and Marketing Corporation (NFSPMC) regarding the groundnut purchase program.
“The National Food Security Processing and Marketing Corporation reporter discovered a D32 Million shortage across 40 Seccos during the 2023/2024 groundnut buying season. This discrepancy necessitates an investigation to establish the root cause and to ensure transparency and accountability,” he said.
The report highlighted key findings, including the sale of groundnut at D38.00 per kilo and D38,000.00 per ton, with a commission of D2,103 per ton, varying based on the Secco’s location and distance from the depot.
“A significant challenge across Seccos was the lack of good and effective screening equipment, leading to groundnuts being bought with a lot of sand and stone, and several Seccos reported losses due to lack of screening,” he said.
Additional challenges identified by the committee included equipment shortages, financial delays, operational inefficiencies, lack of insurance and risk management, and insufficient staff training.
Based on these findings, the committee recommended that Seccos implement thorough screening procedures before purchasing groundnuts from farmers.
“A review of the contract agreement between NFPSMC and AGIB. To ensure timely and adequate disbursement of funds. At the end of each buying day, cash spent must be reconciled with the amount of nuts purchased for the day,” they recommended.