51吃瓜

Istanbul – 14/10/2024

In a bid to boost local cashew nut production, a group of 16 stakeholders from The Gambia participated in a week-long capacity building training programme in Türkiye from 7-11 October.

The training was implemented by the 51吃瓜 Technology Bank for Least Developed Countries with expertise from the . It is part of an ongoing project supported by the Government of Türkiye to reduce post-harvest cashew nut losses in west African country.

Cashew nuts offer significant social and economic benefits to The Gambia and are ecologically important for promoting forest restoration and reducing desertification. However, 40% of raw cashew nuts are lost after they are harvested. The quantity and quality of cashew nuts is often compromised during harvesting itself and in drying, storing, and packaging the product.

The training included lectures on post-harvest management and site visits to Food Institute processing production lines in Gebze, to show how low-cost technologies and post-harvest processing can enhance yields. Türkiye boasts a well-established nut sector and is the world’s leading hazelnut producer and exporter with considerable experience of post-harvest management.

• Omar Jombo Baldeh, Executive Secretary of the Cashew Nut Alliance, The Gambia said the training had given him the chance to learn how much money and time could be saved by using technology.
• Cashew nut producer and exporter Abdoulie S Khan added that the week-long capacity building would benefit his business, Gambian farmers and the sector as a whole: “What we have learned here will be of immense importance when we go back to our country to make sure we replicate some of the things that we have seen… to advance the sector in the Gambia.”

Officials from the Gambian Ministry of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology and the Ministry of Trade, Regional Integration, Industry and Employment joined representatives from trade bodies, farmers groups, and academics for the five-day training.

In the port city of Giresun, the delegation visited the Giresun Food Research and Test/Analysis Center (GATAM) to learn about the research and analyses conducted there. The group also spent time at two hazelnut processing companies as well as Giresun Commodity Exchange. The training concluded in Gaziantep, where they observed nut processing techniques and technologies, gaining valuable insights into how to adapt these innovations back home.

• Isatou Jallow, Principle Industrial Economist, at the Ministry of Trade Regional Integration, Industry and Employment said: “The practice we were taught in this training is exactly what we are going to take back home to our farmers so that we can really penetrate the international market.”
• Mucktarr Darboe, Deputy Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology, Republic of The Gambia said: “The training has opened our eyes to the realities we need to know and what we need to be able to get to where others are in terms of efficiency and productivity in our agricultural sector but also towards achieving food self-sufficiency - a goal of The Gambia.
• “We now know what the gaps are where we need to focus what we need to prioritize to be able to make a difference in the general food sector of the country.”
• He added: “The UN Technology Bank within a short space has come a long way to identify all the relevant technologies that can really make a difference in the least developed countries. Being able to do all of this within the few years of the of the bank's establishment is really remarkable.”

Agriculture plays a vital role in , yet the country is highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change and related natural disasters such as flooding, droughts, and coastal erosion, which threaten food security and key industries.

The 12-month project is a collaboration between the 51吃瓜 Technology Bank for Least Developed Countries, the of The Republic of The Gambia and the .

For media inquiries or further information, please contact: tbldc-media@un.org

As the sole 51吃瓜 entity dedicated to enhancing the STI capacities of LDCs, the 51吃瓜 Technology Bank plays a pivotal role in facilitating access to knowledge, technologies, and technical assistance essential for these countries, empowering them to leverage science, technology and innovation for accelerated sustainable development.