By Haddy Touray
The National Food Security Processing and Marketing Corporation (NFSPMC) has announced the full digitalization of “Seccos” (groundnut selling/buying points) across The Gambia.
In a statement to The Voice, Lamin Fofana, Senior Manager for Business Development at NFSPMC, said the launch of a nationwide digital payment system marks a significant milestone in modernizing the country’s groundnut trade.
“This initiative reflects our commitment to transparency, efficiency, and farmer empowerment through technology,” Fofana said. “Central to this system is the deployment of handheld Point of Sale (POS) devices at all Seccos.”
According to Fofana, the POS devices have transformed the registration of farmers, the receipt of produce, and the processing of payments, creating a seamless, secure and accountable system.
Upon delivery at a Secco, farmers are digitally registered on the POS device, which captures key information, including their National Identification Number (NIN). This generates a reliable and verifiable database, eliminating manual records and reducing errors, duplication, and impersonation.
Once the groundnuts are delivered, they are weighed and a Produce Collection Receipt Number (PCRN) is generated in the system. Each transaction is validated by the Secco President before being finalized. Payments are then processed instantly and sent directly to the farmer’s mobile wallet via WAVE, with immediate confirmation.
“This end-to-end digital process has eliminated delays that previously forced farmers to wait several days for payments,” Fofana said. “Today, farmers are paid instantly and securely, without the need to travel long distances or handle large sums of cash.”
All daily transactions are recorded in a centralized online portal, allowing authorised users to monitor, verify, and print reports for reconciliation and audit purposes.
In addition, digital screening machines have been deployed at Seccos to accelerate the processing and improve the quality of groundnuts. “These machines ensure only clean and high-quality nuts are accepted, enhancing the efficiency and competitiveness of Gambian groundnuts,” Fofana said.
The nationwide rollout of these digital solutions represents a major step in transforming agricultural value chains, aligning with national goals of financial inclusion, digitalization, and the economic empowerment of farmers.
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By Haddy Touray The National Food Security Processing and Marketing Corporation (NFSPMC) has announced the full digitalization of “Seccos” (groundnut…
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