The coordinator of the Radville Farm Gambia Ltd, Sulayman Mboge, has revealed that in 2013, the mango out-growers harvested a total of 92048 kg of mangos and got a total income of D698, 368, while in 2014 they harvested 332692 kg of mangos and generated total income of D2.9 million.
Mr Mboge revealed this at a daylong stakeholders meeting between mango out-growers and Radville Farm Ltd funded by the World Bank through the Gambia Competitiveness Project.
The project coordinator for Radville Farm further said this was a government project out to help local farmers, adding that Radville Farm being an investor “is giving some funds” to be helping farmers but the fund “does not come” to Radville Farm directly.
Mr Mboge disclosed that Radville Farm was just there as middle-men to train mango out-growers as the farm has a group which would train out-growers on good farming practices.
He added that when it is time for harvest, Radville Farm would buy the mangos from the out-growers, stating that the idea was to start the business with few people so that people would know actually the benefit of growing mango.
He said this would motivate more people to get involved in the business and more investors would come into it, as it is not going to stop with Radville Farm, because with mango it could change economy in terms of foreign currency constraints.
Mr Mboge revealed that Radville Farm had exported about 103 containers this year to the UK market, which was just a fraction of what people buy from The Gambia.
He said the meeting was held to make a review of their 2013 and 2014 season activities, what they did last season, what was their gain and problem, and to map out best strategy and practices for better growing of mango in the country.
He said that what Radville Farm could do is to give out-growers good advice and whatever they produce the farm would be ready to buy it from them.
