Minister for Agriculture, Demba Sabally, has outlined what he described as unprecedented support to farmers under President Adama Barrow, including reduction in fertiliser prices, free distribution of thousands of bags, provision of seeds, and free ploughing services.
He was speaking on Friday, October 2, 2026, at a Meet the People Tour meeting in Ngahen Sanjal village, Sabach Sanjal District, North Bank Region.
Minister Sabally said fertiliser which previously cost D2,500 per bag was reduced to D1,100 under President Barrow's administration.
"There were times when fertiliser cost D2,500 per bag but you came and reduced it to D1,100 per bag. It is under your regime that a Gambian stopped smuggling fertilizers into the country because fertilizers are now very cheap to an extent that they are exported outside the country," he said.
Describing Sabach Sanjal and the North Bank Region as a major farming area, he said out of 87 tractors brought into the country by President Barrow, 20 were allocated to the North Bank Region alone.
Sabally revealed that President Barrow gave every district 2,000 bags of fertiliser, more than 14,000 bags in total, for Seyfos to distribute to farmers free of charge.
Aside from that, he said the President also donated organic fertilisers to villages in Sabach Sanjal.
"The President gave 66 bags of fertilizers to Mbampa Marida free of charge. Here in Ngayen Sanjal, 56 bags free of charge. Kunjo, 40 bags free. Tamba Koto, 40 bags free. Kanikunda Suba, 40 bags. Bambali as a big farming community, 120 bags. Then 2,000 bags to the Seyfo of Sabach Sanjal to distribute free," he said.
He continued: "In Upper Badibu, Jarga Wollof, 66 bags. In No Kunda, where our own National Assembly member came from, 200 bags free. In Minteh Kunda, 160 bags, Illiassa village 16 bags, and 2,000 bags to the Seyfo of Upper Badibu to distribute to farmers in his district free of charge."
He said the North Bank Rice Growers Association received 480 bags and the North Bank Farmers Association received 200 bags, all free, adding that hundreds of other villages in Upper Niumi, Lower Niumi, Jokadu, Central Badibu and Lower Badibu also benefited.
He said support went beyond fertiliser to include seeds and ploughing.
"Your government's empowerment to farmers did not only stop with giving them fertilizers, you gave them rice seeds, groundnut seeds, corn seeds, and coos seeds to grow," he said.
"In Kumbija, 333 kilograms of rice seeds. In Ngayen Sanjal, 4,440 kilograms of rice seeds. The same in Sare Kunda, Alikali Kunda, Illiassa, Jaajari, Jimansari, Chaala, Farafenni and Jerreh Kaw Fula. You gave corn seeds to Jarga Wollof," he said.
The Minister added that Makka Farafenni received 1,900 kilograms of corn seeds and 4,400 kilograms of rice seeds, while Darsilameh received 2,800 kilograms of groundnut seeds.
On ploughing, he said government provided free tractor ploughing from Lower Niumi to Sabach Sanjal, including 50 hectares in No Kunda, 33 hectares in Minteh Kunda and 10 hectares in Kani Kunda Suba.
"We will spend the whole night here if I want to name all the villages you help," he said.
