The Ministry of Trade, Regional Integration and Employment in collaboration with the West Africa Quality Programme (WAQP) on Tuesday organised an open day exhibition of locally processed and manufactured food products as part of the activities marking the World Standards Day. The exhibition was held at the Trade Ministry’s premises in Banjul.

Officially declaring the exhibition open on behalf of Abdou Kolley, the Trade minister, the deputy permanent secretary No. 1 at the Trade Ministry, Momodou Lamin Cessay said that the Standards Day celebration is a clear demonstration of the importance government attaches to the issues of standards and quality.

He explained that the purpose of the exhibition is to showcase the locally processed and manufactured food products that seek to satisfy quality and standards requirements.

He noted that The Gambia has immense productive and export potentials in a number of areas in the agri-food sector, adding that the country has the potential to transform and add value to primary products through processing and manufacturing.

According to Ceesay, these potentials are not being fully exploited not only because of limited output in terms of exports, but also due to standards, quality and safety issues.

He lamented the issue of Gambian products such as groundnut and fisheries products being rejected in the EU market for not meeting the required standards.