By Mamadou Edrisa Njie
A Tripartite Agreement between Rice Growers Co-operative Society in the Central River Region/South, Maruo Farms, and Supersonicz-The Micro-finance, had been signed at the end of a two-day engagement meeting from the 10 – 11 December, 2019 held at the Brikamaba Micro-finance Centre. It is aimed at boosting the rice production capacities of about two hundred (200) farmers in the aforementioned region of the rural Gambia.
The said farmers, comprising both men and women, on December 10, committed themselves to an agreement which all the three parties foresee as a “victory in the rice value chain”.
In an interview with Mansa Banko Online shortly after the two hundred rice growers assented to the agreement document by appending their signatures, and thumbprints on it, Mr. Ali Jawo, Representative of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), said the signing of the contract agreement is to boost rice productivity in the region. FAO is supporting and facilitating the smooth operations of the contract agreement, as well as providing technical support-training of farmers on latest farming techniques, as indicated by Jawo.
He vowed that FAO would contribute immensely in the success of the programme, stating 200 farmers are targeted in this programme as a pilot, to boost their productivity and as a result, improve their livelihood.
Jawo told this online medium that each of the farmers is having half-hectare of land for rice cultivation; that the two hundred farmers would, cumulatively, have 100 hectares of rice fields.
Hear him again: “In this pilot face, two hundred farmers have signed the tripartite agreement and will benefit from capacity building, some farming inputs and construction of their water-ways.”
For his part, Head of Operation at Supersonicz- The Micro-finance, Mr. Momodou Lamin Jobe, expounded on the role of their institution, which is to provide financial support.
He intimated that, from the time it got license from the Central Bank of The Gambia, Supersonicz has supported and contributed directly to programmes that improve the livelihoods of its customers.
“Our support on improving the livelihoods focuses particularly on rural communities,” the Operations Director pointed out. This rice value chain comes at a time when farmers are in need for financial support to boost their productivity.
The Micro-finance Operations boss said among their Mission and Vision, is to support famers in CRR/N in the rice value chain. He enumerated: “We are engaged in activities that have positive impact on the lives of Gambians particularly farmers.
“We are providing fertilizer, seed, ploughing and support them on financial and business training.”
On rice value chain, Jobe said they have been supporting farmers with tractors in ploughing their fields, but he noted that “for a tripartite agreement, this is the first time”. As a private sector, he said they are contributing in addressing the importation of rice in the country. He called on the government of The Gambia to protect the local industry through good policies.
The Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Maruo Farms Ltd., Mr. Musa Darboe, stated that the contract agreement is to bring farmers together and work with them to boost their productions; promising that Maruo Farms Ltd would buy the products from the farmers.
Darboe singled out access to finance in the Gambia as “a very big challenge” to farmers; but he was quick to opine that with this tripartite agreement, farmers would not face such a challenge.
“This contract agreement will help farmers do ploughing in earnest, have quality seed and ‘ready-made’ market to sell their rice,” he held.
At Maruo Farms, he said their work focuses on creating jobs for farmers with low labour in the fields, maintaining that, this contract agreement is in the ‘best interests’ of the farmers.
He reassured that now, farmers would benefit from capacity building to be provided by FAO; quality seed; fertilizer and best agronomist practices.
Maruo Farms boss is hopeful that with the ready-made market, farmers in CRR/N would enjoy the labour of their fruits. He added, “With this agreement, farmers yield will increase and they will have money on time to take care of their needs.”
Speaking for the Rice Farmers Co-operative Society of Jahally and Pacharr, Mr. Haruna Gassama said they are optimistic that the tripartite agreement is in best interests of the farmers.
The Society’s President thanked FAO, Supersonicz and Maruo Farms for coming up with the initiative, as he propounds for such initiative (s) to be replicated across the country.
Gassama is undoubted that the initiative would help farmers to do farming on time, and consequently, ensure timely selling of their produce.
He argued, “With this initiative, I can say that we have the market-which is a very big challenge for farmers-, coupled with quality seed, fertilizer and ploughing.”
A two-day engagement meeting with the Rice Farmers Co-operative Society of Jahally and Pacharr
