Across The Gambia’s rural communities, farmers are over the moon anticipating another successful farming season attributed to the quality and affordable fertiliser supplied by government.
While challenges remain, farmers in Medina Daru and Njaba Siyan say government support for agriculture is important to helping them improve production and strengthen their livelihoods.
Though they appreciate the fact that fertiliser is D1600 cheaper in The Gambia compared to neighbouring Senegal, they want to see further improvement in the availability and affordability of fertiliser.
The farmers acknowledge efforts being made to support the agricultural sector but are appealing for continued assistance, particularly in ensuring that fertiliser reaches rural communities early and at prices farmers can afford.
For Yaya Joof, a farmer in Medina Daru, reducing the cost of fertiliser would provide important support to farmers working with limited financial resources.
“We appreciate government support but if they can help us reduce the price of fertiliser, it would be good for us,” Joof said. “Because, like me, I have no much resources to buy many bags of fertiliser even though the price is fairly reasonable.”
Joof’s concern reflects the financial pressure faced by many smallholder farmers.
Agriculture requires investment before farmers can expect returns from their crops. Farmers have to prepare their fields, obtain seeds, pay for labour and purchase inputs such as fertiliser.
For farmers with limited resources, the cost of fertiliser can determine how much they are able to purchase and use on their farms.
Joof believes continued government support in reducing the cost of fertiliser would make it easier for farmers to invest more in their fields and improve their chances of achieving better harvests.
In Medina Daru, another farmer, Sayarr Mboob, also highlights the importance of early access to fertiliser.
“If fertiliser can come early and its price be reduced, it would help us,” Mboob said.
His comments point to the importance of timing during the farming season.
Farmers need agricultural inputs when they are ready to use them, making timely distribution an important part of agricultural support.
Mboob also recognises the efforts being made by the government to support farmers.
“The government is trying,” he said.
However, he believes bringing fertiliser to rural communities early would further strengthen the support already being provided.
“If they can help us with bringing the fertiliser early, it would be good,” he said.
For farmers, timely access to fertiliser can make it easier to plan their farming activities and use available inputs during the appropriate period.
Mboob also raises the issue of groundnut prices. He says an increase in the buying price of groundnuts would benefit farmers who invest considerable time and money in producing the crop.
“Farming is painful,” he said.
His concern reflects another important part of farming. Farmers need reasonable returns after spending months preparing their fields, planting, maintaining their crops and waiting for harvest.
The cost of production and the price farmers receive for their crops are closely connected.
If farming inputs become expensive, farmers need sufficient returns from their produce to recover their costs and support their families.
In Njaba Siyan, Fatou Ceesay is also calling for continued government support, particularly in ensuring early delivery of fertiliser.
“If fertiliser can be brought early so farmers can get it, it would be good,” Ceesay said.
She appealed to the government to make early fertiliser supplies a priority for the next farming season.
Ceesay’s appeal is focused on ensuring that farmers in rural communities have access to the inputs they need when they need them.
For her, early access would help farmers plan their activities and make better use of the support available to them.
Sulay Sinyan, also from Njaba Siyan, makes a similar request.
“If they can bring fertiliser to us early that would help a lot,” Sinyan said.
Her statement reflects the importance farmers place on having agricultural inputs reach their communities.
The concerns raised by the farmers do not mean they reject the support being provided. Instead, they are asking for that support to continue and improve.
For smallholder farmers, government assistance can help reduce some of the financial pressure associated with agricultural production.
Fertiliser remains one of the major costs they have to consider during the farming season.
Lower prices would allow farmers with limited resources to purchase more, while earlier distribution would give them better access during the period when the fertiliser is needed.
The farmers also want stronger returns from their produce.
Mboob’s call for an increase in the buying price of groundnuts shows that farmers are looking beyond production costs. They want to ensure that after investing their time, labour and money in their farms, they can earn enough from their harvest.
This is important for the future of smallholder farming. Farmers need affordable inputs when they are producing, but they also need reasonable prices when they sell their crops.
The farmers interviewed in Medina Daru and Njaba Siyan therefore have several requests for the government.
Joof wants the price of fertiliser reduced so farmers with limited resources can buy enough for their fields.
Mboob wants fertiliser to arrive early and become more affordable. He also wants farmers to receive a better buying price for groundnuts.
Ceesay wants fertiliser delivered early so farmers can access it on time.
Sinyan wants fertiliser brought to farmers in her community.
Together, their views show that farmers see government support as an important part of improving agricultural production in rural communities.
Their comments also suggest that practical improvements in the supply of fertiliser could have a direct effect on farmers’ ability to prepare and cultivate their fields.
For rural households that depend on agriculture, every farming season brings both opportunity and risk. Farmers invest before they know what the final harvest will bring. They therefore need support that can reduce the cost of production and help them make the most of their land.
The farmers’ acknowledgement of government efforts is important. Mboob specifically says the government is trying, while the other farmers focus on what they would like to see improved.
Their appeals are therefore not simply criticisms. They are requests for continued attention to the needs of farmers and for improvements that can make existing support more effective.
As another farming season unfolds, farmers in Medina Daru and Njaba Siyan remain hopeful that their concerns will receive attention.
They want fertiliser to be affordable. They want it to arrive early. They want it to reach rural communities without delays. And they want better returns from the crops they produce.
For farmers who depend on the land for their livelihoods, these measures could reduce some of the pressure they face and help them plan their farming activities with greater confidence.