By Yero S. Bah
It is always a slogan that agriculture is the backbone of the country’s economy, and evidence from research showed that over 75 percent of the Gambians are either directly or indirectly involved into this vital sector.
One such young Gambian agricultural expert is Mr. Nfamara Badjie alias ‘Sweet Bonbon’ of Jambanjelly village in Kombo South, who runs numerous farms with different varieties of both local and imported food trees and non-food trees in his gardens. He is also practicing permaculture as he believes that farmers should be environmentally conscious of the dangers posed by climate change, especially to agriculture and food security in developing nations like the Gambia. He opined that the country has wasted five decades of its independence into meaningless adventures.
Badjie believes that he was born into a farming family and developed the love for agriculture since his early days in life, adding that he has worked for the Department of Agriculture in various portfolios such as village extension worker and district supervisor as well as subject matter specialist in crop production for twelve (12) years with agriculture.
Upon graduation from the University of the Gambia (UTG) with a degree in agriculture, the agric-specialist decided to venture into private farming; he did sustainable development as a course which encouraged him to start his own farming activities.
Fondly called ‘Sweet Bonbon’ by the locals, Badjie holds a Higher Diploma in Agriculture from the Gambia College and explained that for more than five years, he was entirely depending on rain-fed agriculture whilst growing cassava and maize. In 2015 he was sponsored by his brother to purchase the first land equipped with a local well where he was able to plant 200 oranges and the orange trees are now fruiting, he informed Mansa Banko Online.
In addition, he purchased another land in the following year where he planted 200 more orange trees as well as cashew trees and palm trees, noting in five years he was able to at least plant over 600 orange trees. Badjie works on his third farm, this time [with] boreholes dug and pipes fitted across in all farms for easy access to water. “Now, 50 to 60% of the plants are fruiting,” he remarked. He added that he is into the protection of local and traditional trees for posterity in his farms.
For many Gambians, getting capital to start a farming business is a huge challenge and Badjie wasn’t exempted from this. He recalled that he had the ideas but without money, then he approached people with the financial muscles who trusted him as they knew his capacity in agriculture.
Hear him, “A family member financed my agricultural adventure as he got the money and I am with the ideas and passion.” The agriculturist recommended that policy makers and government need to reorient the farming system in the Gambia if the country is to achieve food self-sufficiency in the nearest future. He lamented that projects upon projects had been launched since independence and few successes are attended whilst majority of those projects woefully failed right from their inceptions.
Badjie cited America where he claimed only 5% of the population comprised farmers, but they are feeding over 300 million people; whilst in the Gambia, over 80% of the population are farmers but they can’t feed 2 million mouths. noting agriculture needs to be commercialize for success to be achieve.
Sweet Bonbon went on to suggest that, “We need to redraw our [Gambian] policies and reorient our agriculture.” He said the agric sector is the only employer that can cater for everyone in the country, but was quick to underline that “this is only possible if all stakeholders such as farmers, technocrats, government, private sector and ordinary citizens work together to invest in it”.
In his view, “government pays lip service” to agriculture considering that the budget allocation to the sector is too minimal compared to other areas. Again, Badjie wants government to prioritize the sector, and intimated that the country should put long term targets, remain conscious of the climate change effects, and technocrats should research more. Government, he added, should avoid wrongful appointments of public officials; and that technocrats should take the lead in agriculture.
“Technocrats should be in the fields and not in offices,” the former official of Department of Agriculture regrettably asserted.
Badjie reminded that food is a human right and government should endeavor to provide food for the citizenry; and he said that is possible through the cut in the importation of food products and the promotion of local production on a year-round basis.
