By Abdoulie Nyockeh
The head of Department of Agriculture under the Ministry of Agriculture [MoA] has disclosed that currently, the MoA has deposited nearly Seven million dalasis (D7M) at the Central Bank of The Gambia, in order to purchase fertilizers for the upcoming rainy season.
Director General Dr. Saikou E. Sanyang made the disclosure to the media at the conclusion of the handing over of farming implements to farmers, by the Agriculture Ministry of The Gambia.
As at now, the actual amount that the Ministry has deposited at the country’s apex bank, as the DG pointed out, “is close to D7M. So, we are going to use that fund to buy fertilizers for the upcoming rainy season, so that the issue of fertilizers will be the thing of the past”.
Therefore, he vowed that his Department and its line Ministry are ready to address the concerns of farmers, in terms of timely delivery of fertilizers to their doorstep. He said all this is geared towards boosting agricultural production and productivity of farmers.
DG Sanyang said the price of fertilizer was not expensive in the sense that it was supplied to the farmers at a subsidiary rate. For example, the fertilizer that they supply to the farmers was at a cost of D700.00 per bag, he said.
During the last rainy season, he collected, fertilizer was available from the levels of Ministry of Agriculture and Gambia Groundnut Corporation [GGC] but all at the same price.
The DG reported that from that Seven hundred Dalasis, farmers were given D50.00 as commission and the D650.00 went back to his Department as a Revolving Fund.
Dr. Sanyang said they are trying to ensure that fertilizers are available and affordable to farmers in all year round.
