President Adama Barrow has unveiled a plan to transform Gambia’s agricultural sector, placing a strong emphasis on value-added processing of the country’s primary cash crop, groundnut.

Speaking at the launch of the initiative, Barrow highlighted the historical reliance on importing raw groundnuts, urging a shift towards local processing to drive economic growth, create jobs, and reduce the nation’s dependency on foreign oil imports.

“We have always exported raw groundnuts, but we need to process what we produce to ensure we extract maximum value,” he added.

The processing plant, which is set to produce crude oil and groundnut cake, will further refine the oil for local use, directly addressing inflation and foreign currency challenges.

He also stressed that this project, which aligns with the National Development Plan, would be a major milestone for Gambia, positioning the country to control prices and bolster food security.

The processing plant is expected to be completed by December, marking a legacy achievement for his administration.

He urged Gambians to unite in supporting this transformative project that is aimed at reducing poverty and enhancing the nation’s agricultural potential.

By Adama Makasuba