Mr. Challey Jatta of Kerr Sanyany village in Lower Niumi District, North Bank Region (NBR), has said that financing his education at the country’s apex learning institution was among his achievements in farming.
The student-cum-farmer, who is reading Agriculture at the University of The Gambia (UTG), further told Mansa Banko Online Newspaper that he’s realizing much of his agriculture entrepreneurship benefits from his pigs, goats and cassava farming. The bananas and limes in his garden are still in their early stages, he disclosed during a WhatsApp interview.
As per his version, Jatta was among the first batch of Gambians to be selected from the UTG in 2019, to go and pursue an Advanced Technology course in Agriculture, in Israel. While in Israel, he had an internship with a vegetable farm called Green-Arava [One of Israel’s largest private farming companies], and also Ardom–one of the biggest dates processing and packaging factories in that country.
Upon the completion of his high school education with eight credits, the Kerr Sanyang native said he was encouraged by many people to pursue a science field but he had a passion for agriculture instead of medicine or engineering courses.
Jatta recalled his passion for agriculture started way back as a youngster, pointing out that he had always helped his mother at her vegetables garden.
The agric-student also talked on the challenges such as inadequate water supply, but he has fitted a small tank supported by a solar powered-pump. Poor network between farmers a s well as lack of a readily available market for people who immediately harvest their crops, were also cited by him.
“I have started installing a drip system so that I can make use of the little water I access from the ground,” the young ambitious farmer disclosed. He is growing specific crops like to tackle some the challenges he’s facing. Jatta singled banana as a fruit crop that’s mostly imported from neighbouring countries and beyond, and rhetorically said why not Gambians grow these crops themselves.
Reasoning why he grows lime trees, Jatta said his mother always complains about the scarcity of this fruit crop as well as the high prices associated with lime in the Gambian market. He also said his goals are to be one of the biggest food producers in the sub-region through the use of advanced agricultural technologies; to employ as many youth and women as possible in his native North Bank Region; and to reduce importation of food items into the country.
However, he suggested that the solutions include the change of agricultural policies to suit local producers, connect producers with potential buyers, and make available farming equipment to farmers, and to subsidize where necessary.
Jatta used this medium to enjoin young Gambian entrepreneurs to be persistent in chasing their dreams and stay focus. He stressed that they should “work and think harder”, save and invest so that together, Gambians could build The Gambia they are dreaming for.
