After a poor farming season and a low pricing on groundnuts, farmers are now venturing into gardening to subsidise their income.

In several provincial communities both men and women are now busy clearing, bedding, and planting vegetable crops in their various gardens.

Despite venturing into gardening, dozens of the farmers said they struggled to buy materials like pesticides and fertilisers.

A good number of farmers who spoke to Gambiana expressed concerns and frustrations over their plights.

Mama Jallow, a farmer and father of three said: “we had to venture into gardening because farming now is not realistic despite having it for our livelihood. We can’t depend on it.”

Mr Jallow said he now work in gardening and fish dealing to subsidise his income.

Kebba Jobe, another farmer, also complained about their deplorable situation saying “farmers now keeps worrying because rain can fail at anytime and even pricing on groundnuts is no longer lucrative.”

Mr Jobe said after cultivating a huge piece of land that half of the crops didn’t grow well as he expected them to grow which now prompted him to join gardeners to make ends meet

However, it would be recalled that Gambia farmers have been complaining over this year’s pricing of groundnut since government announced the opening season for purchasing groundnut which prompted thousands to cross into Senegal to market their groundnuts.

The agriculture sector contributes about 30 per cent to the Gambia’s economy with over half of the population depending on the sector for their livelihoods. The sector has recently being affected by rain shortage and late support of government to farmers.

Reporting by Adama Makasuba