President Jammeh Extols URR Farmers’ Effort in Anti-Hunger Campaign

The Daily Observer (Banjul)

Hatab Fadera And Musa Ndow

18 July 2011

The president of the Republic has commended the farmers in the Upper River Region (URR) for their foresight and commitment to the anti-hunger campaign championed by his government, stating that he is impressed with the trend of farming activities in the region in this year’s planting season.

His Excellency Sheikh Professor Alhaji Dr Yahya Jammeh was speaking Friday afternoon in Suduwol village in the URR district of Kantora where he held discussions with the farmers as part of his ongoing nationwide ‘Dialogue with the people’s tour’. President Jammeh, a farmer himself and minister of Agriculture told the thousands of enthusiastic farmers and supporters of the ruling party that he is impressed with the pace of farming in the region, stating that what he has seen is very encouraging. The Gambian leader reiterated that what triggered his tour is the issue of farming, saying what he has seen in the region, especially in Wuli and Kantora so far is very encouraging

He said: “What people must understand is that even if The Gambia starts to produce and sell oil [petrol], no one cooks it to feed and nobody can equally cook money to feed. If we want to eradicate poverty and hunger in this country, then what we consume for survival must be grown by ourselves. But what I have seen in URR I cannot say much to you but to encourage you to increase the farming activity.”

Diversity in agriculture

However, President Jammeh seized the opportunity to enjoin URR farmers to diversify their means of agricultural production, calling on them to take up cashew plantation and findi, amongst others. “Farming is very diverse and if you heard of a wealthy farmer, sometimes it is not because his farm is big, but the type of farming he choose and what he grows on that farm. You would realise that the cultivation of groundnut and cotton is more difficult than findi,” he stated, adding: “The cost of one bag of findi is expensive and it is one crop which cultivation is easier than groundnut. When I asked the price of a bag of findi in Basse, I was told it is four thousand dalasis. So you would realise that a farmer who cultivates findi and harvests 10 bags of it will have more money than a farmer who cultivates cotton.”

The president recalled that in those days if a trader wants to sell findi from Foni in Kantora, nobody will buy it because everybody had it in stock. But he stressed that what escalates the price of findi in the country today is thanks to the fact that it is not grown in the country. President Jammeh therefore underscored that farmers must change the status quo, rethink and grow things that are easy to cultivate and yet with great economic potentials. Observing that farmers in the region have cleared the entire bush and turned them into farms, the president enjoined them to fill those farms with cashew so as to ensure that they continue to benefit from those farms, while at the same enhancing the forest cover. “If you cut a tree, then plant another tree that will be beneficial to you so that the country will not be affected. You all know the amount of money cashew generates, so let’s try and plant cashew in those vast farms,” he advised.

Tip of the ice-barge

Having acknowledged the region’s unceasing support to his party and government since the dawn of the July 1994 Revolution, President Jammeh pledged more developments for the region despite the fact that he has fulfilled eight out of 10 promises he earlier made to them. “If I had pledged 10 in terms of development for the area, then I think I have fulfilled eight. The reason being that when things were too tough and difficult at the dawn of the revolution, and people were sceptical to come and support the revolution, the rousing welcome that I received in the region enabled many other people to come forward,” he recalled. “But what I can assure the region is that what it has seen development wise in the past 16 years of my rule, it is just the smell of a food yet to be served. I swear that what you have seen is just the tip of the ice-barge,” he added.

Election

Shifting to politics, the Gambian leader reiterated that the forthcoming presidential election is not one to determine whether he will win or not, saying: “It is about voting for progress or retrogression.” “To easily have your concerns addressed,” the president put it, “it will depend on how many people have registered and voted for progress in each community. So don’t allow others to come and influence you”. “I acknowledge your loyalty but there is this saying that no matter how fast a horse can run, you can always use a stick to hit it to adjust the speed. I know your stance towards my party and I will also continue to fulfill my own side of the bargain,” he concluded. Meanwhile, the Gambian leader pledged to provide additional vehicles to the police in Kantora so as to enhance the mobility of the personnel in the area.

Speaking earlier, the minister of Basic and Secondary Education, Fatou Lamin Faye reiterated her clarion call for the parents in Kantora to keep sending their children to school. The Basic and Secondary Education minister was never-ending in her message to parents to encourage girls’ education with a view to enable them to serve in the future.

The Interior minister, Ousman Sonko, for his part commended the people of Kantora for their collaboration with the security services in the area. This collaboration, he said explains why Kantora today is crime free, while commending the Gambian leader for pledging to provide a vehicle for the people of Kantora. Minister Sonko recalled that in 2006 when the area was greatly disturbed by incidences of armed robbery, the Gambian leader responded swiftly by providing security in the area. Both Minister Sonko and Faye acknowledged the support of the area to the ruling party, thus enjoining them to keep the momentum.

Locals account

The local farmers who are also party militants expressed gratitude to the Gambian leader for the numerous infrastructural developments in the area. Kibiri Jakuraka, chairman of the council of elders in the area informed the meeting that the URR Nerica Rice Farmers Association heeded the advice the Gambian leader gave them last year. He disclosed that with the collaboration of farmers in other regions, they had earlier this year established what they call the National Nerica Rice Farmers Association in Jenoi, Lower River Region.

Jakuraka informed the Gambian leader that he has been adopted as a father of the association in view of his stance towards farming. He explained that the formation of this national movement is among other things meant to strengthen the clarion call by the president for the citizens to feed themselves. He disclosed that the association’s target is also to work towards ensuring that the country does not import rice in the next two years. Jakuraka explained further that the association is non-political, and non-ethnic, stating that it was formed to champion the anti-hunger crusade of the country, while disclosing that all the seven administrative regions are part of the association.

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