The Project Director of Gambia Small Ruminant Production Enhancement Project (SRPEP), Mr. Mamud Njie, has said the primary objective of the project is to contribute to the improvement of livelihoods of pastoral farmers in the Gambia, which he added, could be done by strengthening the production resilience of the rural communities.
He held that, this could also be attained through stimulating business and entrepreneurship in livestock sector so as to also enhance productivity through the genetic improvement, feed systems, production and marketing as well as innovation of product processing techniques.
The SRPEP senior official was speaking on Wednesday, 5 May 2021 before the Legislature’s Select Committee on the Monitoring and Implementation of Government Projects as he updated the lawmakers on the said project. Putting the project sum at US$26.8million, Njie reported that the Islamic Development Bank- the main donor of the project-is funding 25.17 million. The said figure is broken down into three different categories, namely IDB Loan, Islamic Solidarity Fund and the Installment seal, said Njie.
“The project aims to construct 10 livestock markets, 10 modern meat stalls, 10 slaughter houses, 15 veterinary pharmacies, 20 watering facilities across the country,” the Project Director catalogued, adding it also aims to form 60 schemes, of which, 30 are for breeding, and 30 scheme for fattening.
Under the Islamic Microfinance, he said they would recruit two microfinance institutions with nationwide coverage, and also have Islamic Microfinance window.
Njie remarked: “We have signed a contract for the drilling of 20 boreholes nationwide. Currently, the technical and project teams are conducting confirmation of the sites where the boreholes will be drilled”. He pointed out that the criteria for the selections of villages to benefit from the project are that the “village is high concentration in small ruminants but have no access to water”.
In the next 18 months, the project would complete the construction of the ruminant markets, slaughter houses, modern meat stalls, 15 veterinary outlets, two mini-modern diaries and model livestock training center, 60 breeding schemes for both local and exotic, and 2 mini diary, as he catalogued.
Njie further informed the lawmakers that the project intends to support 600 farmers, each with a quarter of hectare of pasture which would be fenced; that they would be given seeds and trained. This, he told his audience, is to ensure that animals do not depend solely on groundnut hay, but feed on the grass farms.
He announced: “We will also begin the nationwide vaccination campaign on PPR [Peste des Petits Ruminants Virus] and Pasteurellosis [an infection with a species of the bacterial genus pasteurella] to ensure that the animals are protected; to ensure that the animals survive to be able to increase the production and productivity.”
Hon. Sulayman Saho, Chairperson of the Monitoring Committee stated they invited the SRPEP officials to appear and provide updates on the Small Ruminant Project.
The Central Baddibu NAM urged them to be proactive in responding to the invitations extended to them by the committees of the assembly.
