The government has begun identifying and mapping farmers affected by restrictions on cross-border farming activities as it prepares support measures while pursuing a diplomatic resolution with Senegal, Information Minister Dr Ismaila Ceesay has said.

Dr Ceesay said government assessments have established that most of the affected farmers own farmlands inside Senegalese territory, where Gambian communities have cultivated for decades under a long-standing understanding between communities on both sides of the border.

He explained that the arrangement had allowed many Gambian farmers to cross into Senegal during the rainy season to cultivate their land and produce food for their families.

“Most of the farmers who have been stopped from farming have their farmlands inside Senegalese territory. There has been a decades-long understanding between these communities, which was going very fine, that most Gambian farmers go into Senegal and do their farming,” Dr Ceesay said.

He said the government is conducting a mapping exercise to identify all affected farmers, assess the scale of the disruption and determine the support needed to protect their livelihoods.

Dr Ceesay noted that many rural households depend on the annual harvest from these farms to feed their families throughout the year.

“Most farmers farm during the rainy season and stock the proceeds to feed themselves for the whole year. So we know their livelihoods are at risk,” he said.

The minister said the government has activated its social protection mechanisms to assist affected farmers while developing an action plan to resolve the issue through diplomatic engagement with Senegal.

He added that regional governors and other government officials are engaging affected communities to gather information and ensure assistance reaches those whose livelihoods have been disrupted.

Dr Ceesay reaffirmed the government’s commitment to resolving the matter peacefully through dialogue with Senegal while providing support to affected farming communities.

By Adama Makasuba