Groundnuts are grown throughout The Gambia and constitute one of the country’s key exports. It can be grown in almost all parts of The Gambia, with current production concentrated along the north bank and south bank areas. Groundnuts constitute the single largest cash crop in the country.
Who introduced groundnuts to the Gambia?
The introduction of the groundnut (commonly known as the peanut) to the Gambia was by the Portuguese in the 16th century from a Brazilian species. Up until the 1830s it was grown by Gambians for domestic consumption only and not for agricultural export. It was later introduced in The Gambia by the British as a cash crop.
Why are groundnuts so expensive in Gambia?
Over the years the country’s groundnut export has been declining from 6000 tons to less than 1000 tons worldwide, thus affecting the price of other commodities in the market. According to Muhammed Njie, manager of the Gambia Food Processing and Marketing Cooperation, this is a result of farmers selling their groundnuts elsewhere.
Why is the Gambia losing its ranking in groundnut exporters?
Although the Gambia is a major groundnut exporting country, it is gradually losing its ranking among top groundnut exporters due to Aflatoxin, a crop disease that emerged in 2013 and still plagues the crop today. The toxin is widespread in the Gambia and high levels have been recorded in some areas of the country.