The Gambia's agriculture ministry paid a 25% advance of about 52mn GMD (€0.62mn) on a 2024 contract for 180 tractors in two installments, in 2025 and 2026, delaying deliveries, Agriculture Minister Demba Sabally told lawmakers on October 21, The Standard reported. Some tractors have been distributed, while others await border clearance, and he gave no delivery date, the newspaper said.
Analysis: A 25% advance of 52mn GMD implies a contract value of about 208mn GMD (€2.5mn), or 1.16mn GMD per tractor, by our calculation. The contract and supplier details have not been published. The minister said the agreement took effect only after the advance was fully paid, delaying machinery intended to help farmers prepare land before planting. Some tractors have been distributed, but others remain at the border and no completion date has been given. Farmers and equipment dealers therefore face uncertainty over delivery. The minister promised to submit supplier details to the National Assembly clerk.
Source: The Standard newspaper, Agriculture Minister Demba Sabally's answers in the National Assembly, October 21, 2026, as reported by The Standard (October 22, 2026), Paid 2025-2026 (contract signed 2024); The Standard newspaper, The Standard, October 22, 2026 (National Assembly questions), Contract signed 2024; Central Bank of The Gambia (CBG), CBG, Official Exchange Rates for Valuation Purposes, October 27, 2026 (daily PDF), October 27, 2026