UNIDO-WACOMP meets with onion producers in Brefet

The project has provided five onion curing, packaging and storage facilities to it's intervention areas including Brefet in the West Coast Region, Nanaba in Central River Region South , Jahurr Mandinka in Central River Region North, Kiang Nema in the Lower River Region and Pakau Njogu in the North Bank Region.

The facilities in Brefet, Nanaba and Jahurr Mandinka have been completed and fully operational but that of Kiang Nema and Pakau Njogu are under construction.

Therefore, UNIDO converged Nema Kiang and Pakau Njogu onion producers at Brefet Onion Curing, Packaging and Storage Facility for a day-long event to learn from Brefet onion producers who have experience on onion storage.

The subjects of the exercise was facility management, onion curing, storing and procedural. Participants also discussed mechanisms to control the facility to ensure sustainability.

The primary objective of the meeting was to exchange experience and ideas on onion curing, packaging and the storage process.

In his remarks, Malamin Drammeh, national horticulture value chain expert for UNIDO- WACOMP said the meeting was geared towards ensuring that onion producers exchange ideas, knowledge and skills on onion curing, packing and storing to enhance onion production in The Gambia.

"The meeting is also geared towards enlightening Pakaw Njogu and Kiang Nema onion producers about the facility before the project phased-out," he said.

That, he said would enable all beneficiaries have proper understanding of the facilities prior to the project phasing-out.

"Now, beneficiaries communities whose project is under construction will learn from experienced colleagues," he said.

Delving into the importance of the facility, he divulged it would help producers to cure, dry, pack and store onion for about seven months of preservation.

He thus urged participants to practice the knowledge gained and help to dessiminate the information correctly to help other onion producers to have the needed knowledge and skills on onion storage management.

The horticulturist further advised participants to follow curing, packing and storing procedures to preserve their onion well.

Khaddy Jatta, experienced onion producer in curing, packing and storing said there is a need for producers to store their products in order of harvest.

"The first onion to ripen or mature should be stored first and then followed by others. It should be based on sequence form. Never rush when storing your products. Do it correctly," she advised.

Fat Ceesay, a committee member of Brefet Women Garden said there is a greater need for producers to maintain the facility’s hygiene.

She said producers should clean their hands and avoid entering the facility with shoes. That, she said would prevent products from contamination.

Ndey Ngum, a participant from Pakaw Njogu commended UNIDO for it's efforts in developing the onion value chain industry.  She said UNIDO is the first institution to introduce onion curing, packaging and storage facility in The Gambia.

"Before this initiative, many onion producers used to experience severe post harvest loss. Some people used to produce about 35 bags of onion but half of the produce often get spoiled," she recalled.

Ms Ngum further said that with UNIDO's  intervention post-harvest loss has drastically reduced, especially in beneficiaries' communities.

The development, she added will no doubt boost onion production in the country and enhance socio-economic development for producers.

Karfanding Badjie, president of Brefet Women Garden thanked UNIDO and its partners for bringing development to the doorstep of onion producers.

"UNIDO and European Union has improved the condition of onion producers," she said, while urging beneficiaries to handle the facilities with best care.