The Farmers’ Union of The Gambia has held a strategic meeting with the Chinese Embassy in Bijilo aimed at strengthening agricultural cooperation and identifying new areas of support for Gambian farmers.

The engagement, held on 2 December, brought together senior representatives from both sides.

The Gambian delegation was led by Union President Badou Bah, accompanied by Vice President Alagie Ceesay, Secretary General Modou Njie, and agricultural advocate Pa Nderry Touray.

China’s delegation was headed by Ambassador Liu Jin and Economic and Commercial Counsellor Tong Zhen.

Ambassador Liu underscored the long-standing friendship between the two countries and said agriculture remained a shared priority in their development agendas.

“Both China and The Gambia have similarities, and agriculture remains key in our drive,” he said.

Mr Bah expressed appreciation to the Embassy for hosting the Union and reaffirmed farmers’ willingness to learn from China’s extensive agricultural experience.

“We are happy and grateful that you opened your door for us, and the Farmers’ Union would love to learn from the master of agriculture in China,” he said.

Talks centred on challenges facing Gambian farmers, including limited market opportunities and technical training needs.

The Chinese side expressed readiness to collaborate in areas such as mechanisation, capacity building, value addition, and potential investment in agricultural infrastructure.

Both parties agreed to pursue follow-up meetings to set out priority areas and turn the discussions into concrete support for farmers across the country.

The Farmers’ Union described the meeting as “encouraging and forward-looking”, saying deeper cooperation with China would help improve productivity and contribute to national food security.

By Adama Makasuba