Over two hundred farmers from the Central River Region, recently met at Armitage Senior School to discussed ways and means of forming a Farmer Cooperative Bank in the region. 

Forming themselves into cooperative societies would help in marketing their products in order to improve their living conditions.

Addressing the gathering, Lamin Darboe, the deputy governor of the Central River Region said cooperative bank is key in any development endeavour noting that the importance of its formation in the region cannot be over-emphasized. 

He stated that farmers are the poorest in Africa which is due to marketing saying “they do not determine the prices of their produce”.  Therefore, he added, forming themselves into cooperative societies would better improve their income status and livelihood. “With cooperative banks, farmers can be able to market their produce and also access bank loans” he said. 

Deputy Governor Darboe then thanked all the participants for the proposed unity formation.

Abdoulie Manjang, the pioneer of the formation of the Cooperative Bank revealed that forming it will be key to improve farmers income citing Ghana as an example where the Cocoa industry is now run and managed by farmers.

Pierre Bah, Chief of Niani who chaired the meeting said the formation of cooperative banks will improve the living standard of farmers and facilitate their work.  He called on the farmers to take up the activity seriously.

Other speakers included Lamin Saidy-kahan, the farm manager.