Gambia has begun reviving its cotton sector in the Upper River Region (URR) as the country’s main cash crop has lost its value in the international market, according to Lamin Jobe, Minister of Trade, Industry, regional integration and employment, who last month addressed a business forum in Kololi that sought to strengthen entrepreneurship ties with Turkey.
The forum was organised by the Gambia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) in collaboration with the Ministry of Trade and the Gambia Investment and Export Promotion Agency (GIEPA). The forum also aimed at strengthening bilateral trade relations between Banjul and Istanbul, according to a report. Gambia has 43.5 per cent arable land and in the past, cotton used to be the second cash crop after groundnuts, the Minister said. Turkey can provide technology and vocational education for Gambia’s cotton promotion efforts, he added.
