By Yero S. Bah
For fifty-five years of nationhood, the Gambia is still unable to feed herself despite the millions of dalasis invested in the agricultural sector, prompting serious national questions as to why the status-quo still persists in the country.
The Gambia still imports most of its food items such as rice, onions, potatoes and even chickens, despite the fact that the country has a perfect climate, arable and fertile land for agriculture, a youthful population and much of the funds to attend food self-sufficiency.
In an exclusive interview with Mr. Nyada Yoba Baldeh on Saturday, April 11, 2020 at his residence in Wellingara Kombo North, the International Agricultural Consultant highlighted the puzzles hindering progress in the agricultural sector of the Gambia.
From political independence in 1965 to the year 2020, The Gambia has witnessed three governments and none of them is able to solve the puzzle in agriculture, and according to many agriculturists, it seems there is no light at the end of the tunnel yet, given the current realities of the sector and government policies and programs in place.
A veteran agriculturist, Baldeh, told Mansa Banko Online that “there is a need for a national dialogue on agriculture in order to include every one,” charging that both public and the private sector must be ready to invest in agriculture, in order to develop it to another level that would fix the puzzle of self-feeding.
While opining that the agricultural sector has the most educated staff and that the needed qualifications are in place, Baldeh alleged that “lack of good leadership” in agriculture hinders the development of the sector.
However, he still believes that there has been some progress especially in the areas of farming mechanization, knowledge on plant and animal species and the promotion of commercial fertilizers in the Gambia.
His words: “There have been some tremendous achievements in farming mechanization from the hand-held-hoe to the introduction of animal drawn farming implements.” He posited also that agriculturists need to adopt agric-based industry and agro-business, as he held that this is the future and Gambians should focus more in such areas.
“People need to see agriculture as business ventures, to improve productivity and add value to whatever is produced by processing these produce and stand a chance of exporting these finished products,” he pointed out.
He’s positive that this would create employment for the youth and multiply income for the farmers in the country. Baldeh explained that there had been tangible achievements in animal husbandry, and argued it’s absolutely wrong to say that the country did not achieve anything in agriculture.
But, he went on to say that, previous or earlier projects in rice production in the 60s/70s were mismanaged as the focus was on pump-irrigation rather than tidal-irrigation, an approach he faulted as “unsustainable and environmentally” harmful.
The international agricultural consultant averred that the best approach could have been tidal-irrigation which is cheaper and environmentally-friendly; but he also pointed to the demerits of such a project, noting the initial capital could be costly compared to pump-irrigation. “Tidal-irrigation is more environmentally-friendly, sustainable and cheaper too,” said Baldeh.
Even though he believes that “mismanagement” was committed in agriculture, he wouldn’t call it an “outright corruption”, reasoning he needs evidence to describe it as corruption.
The farming expert said the Agriculture Ministry or Department of Agriculture (DoA) needs clear-cut vision, mission, programs, policies and strategies to achieve food self-sufficiency for the Gambia, but he further claimed that “bad governance and poor leadership” had for the longest time, hindered any possible progress in the Gambia, particularly in agriculture. “We need to change our ways of governance and administration,” asserted the agric consultant.
Baldeh told this medium that if he’s the current Minister or Permanent Secretary of Agriculture, he would have convened a national dialogue on agriculture to pave a way forward for the sector with a clear-cut vision and mission of achieving food self-sufficiency and nutrition security. Pushing for such a radical change, he disclosed, would have been his priority so that the country will be able to feed itself in no time.
Hear his thoughts: “There are old folks in the Gambia who have fantastic ideas on how to improve the agricultural sector; everyone should be involved to fix the problems in the agricultural dilemma.”
He stressed the need to establish a purely Agricultural Commercial Bank that would be ready and willing to credit farmers with acceptable interest rates. It would help the farming communities to upgrade their farming activities, increase their incomes, improves their lives and livelihoods in the Gambia, as Baldeh maintained.
He alleged also that “the so-called experts in the agricultural sector swindled funds” that were intended for poor farmers and destroyed the Gambia Cooperative Credit Union which was supposed to serve the interest of the farming communities in rural Gambia.
“In the early years of independence, these credit unions used to supply farmers with food rations during difficult times especially in the raining season, but it is history now,” he sadly argued.
As Baldeh posited, it’s farmers who should lead these credit unions while the technocrats should just serve as advisers in running these institutions.
On the role of women, youth and technology in agriculture, the agric consultant underlined that, without women farmers, the Gambia wouldn’t have achieved what it has been able to in agriculture, as he hailed the Gambian women in agriculture as the most important contributors in the sector.
He explained that technology is about shifting attentions to agric-based industry and agro-business as it helps to create employment for the youth and increase income for the farmers as well as enables the country to export finished products.
“In value adding, most technologies, {there’s} no need to reinvent the wheel since the technology can be adopted easily, anywhere in the world and the Gambia, in particular. Mango processing machines, you don’t need to adopt anything with them,” he added.
Baldeh also wants people to be nationalistic in implementing such programs, and stated that commitment is needed to multiply the meager resources that the country has to build a new nation that is fit for purpose.
Meanwhile, he outlined that in order to achieve food and nutrition security, the country needs to focus on four pillars, to wit: Agriculture-which is the bedrock of national develop; Security to provide a peaceful environment without which no progress will be witness; Education-sector whether conventional or religious education; as well as hygiene and health.
Vouching that it’s knowledge that propels development in all other areas in the country, Baldeh added that “people need to be trained basic hygiene etiquettes so as to prevent some of these diseases”.
In his view, Gambians need the required leadership to move this country forward, and that special attention should be paid to people who want to lead this nation.
It’s worth mentioning that, Mr. Nyada Yoba Baldeh has served in various portfolios at the Department and Ministry of Agriculture; Forestry and Environment Ministry; National Environment Agency (NEA); and as an International Agricultural Consultant for Liberia as well as a World Bank Liaison Officer for The Gambia for decades.
