The Gambia’s Minister of Agriculture, Madam Amie Fabureh, has informed the nation’s lawmakers of her ministry’s plans to revitalize Agricultural Cooperative Societies in the country.
The NAM for Banjul North, Honourable (Hon.) Ousman Sillah had asked Minister Fabureh to inform the august Assembly how far the Agriculture Ministry has gone, and when would the Ministry develop the farmers’ cooperative societies to ease the difficulties of the farmers in selling their produce.
Responding, Fabureh informed that her Ministry, in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization(FAO) of the United Nations, had contributed to the provision of a well-articulated policy document, entitled: National Cooperative Policy for the Gambia 2021-2030.
The policy, the country’s first female Agriculture Minister pointed out, “is comprehensive” as it’s not limited to only agricultural cooperatives, but also types of cooperatives such as the multipurpose finance and credit unions, housing, transportation, and consumer cooperatives, among others.
She told them that FAO, the previous week, has donated a new pickup vehicle, 2 laptops and a printer to the Ministry of Agriculture, towards the revitalization of the cooperatives and through the implementation of the cooperative policy.
The National Assembly Member for Sandu Constituency, Hon. Muhammed Mahanera, quizzed: “Can the Minister inform this Assembly if there are plans to renovate old seed stores in the country?
Minister Fabureh replied, there are plans at her Ministry to renovate old seed stores across the country, under the National Seed Secretariat. She further indicated that an assessment had been done and they were looking forward to [receiving] funds, in order to start the renovation process.
She, however, made it clear that not all the old seed stores countrywide, are under the National Seed Secretariat; but she added her Ministry is aware of the existence of such seed stores and it’s looking forward to developing a proposal, with a view to renovating those seed stores in due course.
Member for Wuli East, Hon. Suwaibou Touray asked if the seed stores under the National Seed Secretariat encompass the whole country, including Wuli.
The minister explained, it’s across the country because they are selected seed stores.
Hon. Alfusainey Ceesay, Member for Sami, asked the Minister about the criteria used in categorizing seed stores that are supposed to be under the Seed Secretariat.
Madam Fabureh pointed out that some of the seed stores were established during the colonial times, but the recent ones under the National Seed Secretariat are those of WAPP Project, and as such, they are under the Secretariat.
NAM for Serekunda West, Hon. Madi Ceesay asked whether there are plans to regain the seed stores that had been turned into Police Stations.
Minister Fabureh had this to say: “As a Ministry, we need to collaborate with the parliamentarians, because those seed stores belong to the community; so that we negotiate to be able to retrieve those seed stores.”
Member for Kantora, Hon. Billay G. Tunkara wanted to know from the minister what mechanisms had been put in place by the Ministry to ensure routine maintenance of the seed stores, so that they could serve their purposes; with a particular reference to the Mixed Farming Center in Kantora which, he claimed, is being occupied by the Gambia Armed Forces.
On the said mixed farming, Minister Fabureh disclosed she has engaged the Interior Minister, so that they could retrieve the center. She added that as a Ministry, they are rehabilitating mixed farming centers, and that currently, 12 mixed farming centers had been rehabilitated. Fabureh also promised that they would continue with the rehabilitation.
