The Secretary of State for Trade, Industry and Employment, Susan Waffa-Ogoo, on 10 January 2007 visited Barra and Kerewan where she bought depots of groundnuts of the Gambia Groundnut Corporation (GGC).

The trip, undertaken after the official commencement of the 2006/07 Groundnut Marketing Season on 22 December 2006, formed part of the Secretary of State’s familiarization visits to institutions under her portfolio.

At Barra, the Secretary of State was welcomed by the Depot Manager and the Chief of Nuimi, Alhagie Tabora Manneh, who is also a major trader in groundnuts.

Barra is the “highest intake depot” in the whole country and usually records 30-40% of the total annual groundnut purchases in the country.

Buying actually started in Barra on 29 December 2006 and the total purchases of the groundnut amounted to 645 tonnes.

The Secretary of State was also received by the Manager at the Kerewan Depot. She was then taken on a conducted tour of the depot facilities in Barra and Kerewan and said that so far she was impressed.

Hon. Waffa-Ogoo also visited the loading point at Buniadu where she witnessed the unloading of groundnuts into the barges.

She was accompanied during the tour by senior officials of the Department of State for Trade, Industry and Employment and the GGC.