By Sainabou Sambou
Agriculture Minister Demba Sabally has described the new Agro-Logistics Center under construction in Maka Farrafinni as a potential game-changer that will significantly cut post-harvest losses and advance The Gambia’s goal of achieving food self-sufficiency by 2030.
Speaking during President Adama Barrow’s recent tour of the facility, Minister Sabally said the GIRAV Agro-Logistics Center, being built under the Gambia Inclusive and Resilient Agricultural Value Chain Development Project, will improve storage, handling and distribution of agricultural produce across the country.
The centre is jointly financed by the World Bank and the Government of The Gambia at a cost of US$3.2 million.
According to the minister, the facility will feature dry warehouses, cold-storage units, sorting and grading areas, logistics support facilities, a weighbridge and industrial plots. Cold storage will cater for perishable goods, while dry warehouses will hold commodities such as onions and other regional produce.
“Post-harvest losses are estimated at about 30 percent, particularly for perishable goods,” Minister Sabally said. “This facility is expected to reduce those losses significantly.” He stressed that cutting such wastage is essential to the country’s food self-sufficiency ambitions.
The center will also include essential utilities such as a sewage treatment plant, waste management center, electrical distribution system, road network and drainage network. Planned social amenities include commercial spaces and shops, training centers, a bank, food outlets, and security facilities.
Minister Sabally noted that the project will give farmers better options to store and preserve their produce while strengthening agricultural value chains, improving food distribution and supporting broader food-security objectives.
Construction is currently about 75 percent complete, according to contractor Mamadou Nyang. The facility is scheduled for completion by the end of October, with a possible inauguration in the first week of November.
Nyang said the administration building is on track for completion in October, weather permitting. Tiling on the upper floor is approximately 90 percent finished, while work on the middle section stands at around 70 percent. All required materials have been mobilized on site, and four to five teams are working simultaneously on different sections.
The main warehouse will offer storage capacity of approximately 2,700 metric tonnes. The administration building will house stores, shops, a training center and a dormitory. The center will also feature a fuel station and repair workshop, with plans to invite private operators to run the fuel station.
Officials say the project marks an important step in modernizing Gambia’s agricultural infrastructure and reducing the heavy toll of post-harvest losses on farmers and national food security.
