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Bountiful Harvest but Rising Concerns: Watermelon Vendors Share Mixed Fortunes Across Greater Banjul


By: Awa Susso #22229014

The rainy season in The Gambia has once again brought an abundance of fresh produce to markets across the Greater Banjul Area, with watermelons dominating stalls from Serrekunda to Bundung. While this year’s harvest has been largely impressive, vendors and farmers say the sector continues to face long-standing challenges from lack of government support to environmental concerns and declining fruit quality.

Watermelon farming, mostly carried out in the country’s interior, has yielded a higher-than-expected output this year. Vendor and farmer Momodou Bah, speaking along Bundung, expressed gratitude for the improved harvest, noting that business has been brisk.

“Despite watermelons being perishable, business is running smoothly, thank God,” he said. “We are making considerable profits every day.”

However, the growing volume of produce has also created waste-management problems. Along many streets, rotten watermelons can often be seen dumped improperly, contributing to pollution. Bah said he takes sanitation seriously by maintaining a clean cutting table and paying waste collectors daily.

Another farmer and vendor, Ebrima Jallow, said the boom in produce does not reflect the hardships growers face behind the scenes. According to him, farmers receive little to no support from government authorities despite bearing the full cost of cultivation.

“The government has not rendered any form of help from scratch,” Jallow said. “All the capital comes from our pockets, yet we still pay taxes to KMC every day.”

Customers, too, have noticed changes. Sainabou Jobe, a regular buyer, complained that watermelons “no longer taste as good as they used to,” suggesting that premature harvesting might be responsible for the decline in quality.

In the North Bank Region, farmer Basirudeen Kassama recently raised alarm over an unknown disease affecting crops, prompting concerns among growers nationwide. Agricultural expert Professor Atif Al-Hussain, who later examined the issue, linked the problem to the type of seeds used.

Professor Hussain recommended that the Ministry of Agriculture establish a national program to provide certified, organic, indigenous seeds to farmers across the country, ensuring safer and more sustainable production in the future.

For now, watermelon vendors continue to navigate a season marked by both promising sales and persistent challenges, hoping that future harvests come with better support and fewer uncertainties.

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