By Mamadou Edrisa Njie
In his State of the Nation Address at the country’s Legislative House in Banjul, the President of the Republic of The Gambia, H.E. Adama Barrow, disclosed that for the 2019-20 farming season, the National Seed Secretariat has planned to cultivate sixteen thousand (16,000) hectares of foundation seeds.
In the past, as he recalled, a total of three hundred and sixty-five thousand, two hundred and eighty-six (365,286) people were reached for one type of support or another.
The president noted that the agriculture sector represents a major area of economic activity and employment in The Gambia, as it contributes about twenty-two percent to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and constitutes major economic activity in the country.
“Of late, the sector has been pursuing its transformation agenda, with the support of development partners, to implement vital projects and activities. Examples of the projects in progress include the Rice Value Chain Project in Sapu and the Small Ruminant Improvement Project in Yoro Berri Kunda,” Barrow stated.
He went on to say that aside from drafting and validating the National Strategy for the Control and Eradication of Small Ruminant Pests, to protect our animal stock, two hundred and fifty thousand (250,000) heads of cattle and fifty thousand (50,000) birds have been vaccinated.
Besides this, eight hundred and eighty-eight (888) small ruminants’ schemes have now been established.
President Barrow informed that his government, through the Ministry of Agriculture, has stepped up support to farmers countrywide. In justifying this, the Gambian leader said the support has been in the form of supply of tractors, trans-planters, combined harvesters, power tillers, threshers, rice planters and milling machines to improve agricultural activities.
“Women have been the major target in most of these interventions. With strong determination, Government will continue to prioritise women issues across the broad spectrum of our development agenda and priorities,” the nation heard.
For better productivity, President Barrow disclosed that, the Ministry of Agriculture is pursuing its goal of mechanisation, and is arranging to secure machinery and expertise to establish a fully functional Agricultural mechanisation unit.
On policy matters, the Ministry of Agriculture has revised and updated the new Agriculture and Natural Resources (ANR) Policy (2017-2026) to replace the former 2009-2015 Policy. Also reviewed, according to him, is the first Gambia National Investment Programme; and the successor programme would be validated shortly.
On the issue of feeding the nation or food self-sufficiency, he remarked, “Let me explain that all the initiatives devised within the Agriculture sector and the support provided or solicited are part of the overall policy of Government to attain food self-sufficiency in the country”.
He continued: It must be emphasised, however, that the realisation of this goal rests on all sectors, public and private, and on all citizens. This noble goal cannot be accomplished through the formulation of a single policy framework or plan for Government alone to implement. On the contrary, it is contained in the overall development of the nation.”
