The ‘Success Livestock and Horticulture’ establishment in Basse, Upper River Region (URR) is run by Mr. Mamadou Fatty who, as deduced from his assertion, was fascinated by agriculture simply because it’s regarded as the backbone of the country’s economy.
In an interview via WhatsApp, with our reporter on April 25, 2021, the poultry and food crops farmer emphasized his belief in producing what the nation eats, as he frowned at the high cost of importation of food products that Gambians could grow in this country and export.
Fatty started his farm in 2019 with just 50 chicks, expanding it to 200 within a short period of time before venturing into vegetable production as well, he told Mansa Banko Online.
According to his explanation, he’s able to provide the egg needs of at least 25 households and five shops, and has created employment opportunities (for others). He also claimed to have “sensitized good number of Gambians on the essence of the sector”.
The young entrepreneur also enumerated some of the challenges he’s facing such as lack of extensive market; land to expand (his commercial undertaking), and the absence of mechanized farming practices which he regarded as too expensive.
Recollecting of his previous situation, the now self-employed Fatty divulged he was just depending on salaries and employment benefits to earn a living, and “life wasn’t comfortable because you have to be at the mercy, directive and orders of others which are not always in line with your vision”. He then started his own farming adventure with just 10,000 dalasi, and in his words, it’s quite difficult to access funds in the Gambia because banks “are not helping” young entrepreneurs to access funds on loans; adding overdraft conditions are seemingly unachievable.
The ‘Success Livestock and Horticulture’ boss is of the view that agriculture has the potentials to employ over 60 percent of the youthful population of the Gambia. But he lamented that despite this huge potential, unemployment is still a huge challenge in this country. Notwithstanding, the Basse poulterer is still optimistic that young people like him could bridge that employment gap and help in achieving food self-sufficiency and promoting healthy lifestyles.
The young entrepreneur is strongly desirous of an industrialized livestock and vegetable production in the country whereby countries would place orders (for these products) from the Gambia for export to international markets. He believed that would enable Gambians to increase their wealth through pay rise and other incentives.
Meanwhile, Fatty used the interview to call on the Gambian elites to embrace agriculture, hoping that with their knowledge, skills and competence the country’s agricultural sector could be transformed to rub shoulders with great economies around the globe.
The young optimistic farmer told this medium, “We [Gambia] can do it, if we act and not just talking and forming policies that are not implemented.”
