Gambiaj.com – (BANJUL, The Gambia) – President Adama Barrow has defended his government’s decision to channel payments for groundnut farmers through banks, describing the measure as a necessary step to protect farmers’ earnings from theft.

Addressing a crowd of farmers and residents in Maka Bala Manneh on Monday night as part of his ongoing nationwide tour, President Barrow said the banking system was introduced to ensure transparency and security in handling payments from the annual groundnut trade season.

“In the past, some farmers kept their money in bags or boxes, which attracted thieves. So, we had to come up with ideas to help preserve and protect the money so that you, the farmers, can safely access your earnings, and for the government not to lose its money either,” the president explained.

Many farmers have complained that the bank payment system often causes delays in accessing their money, but President Barrow assured them that the decision was taken in their best interest and that the government is working to improve the process.

The president revealed that his administration had invested heavily in the groundnut sector this year, allocating D1 billion and an additional D500 million to purchase groundnuts from farmers.

“This, coupled with increasing the price of groundnuts to D38,000 per ton, even though the world market price is D20,000, clearly shows that my government is committed to supporting Gambian farmers,” Barrow said to loud applause from the crowd.

The president’s tour continued on Tuesday with meetings in Salikeni and Farafenni, where he is expected to engage communities on the government’s development initiatives and policies affecting rural livelihoods.