By: Sulayman Waan
The National Agriculture, Land and Water Management Development Project (Nema) with a funding from International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), Islamic Development Bank (ISDB) and Africa Development Bank (AFDB) counterpart with the Gambia government has presented five 385 Massey Ferguson Tractors with its accessories to farmers worth over twelve millions Dalasi (D12,000,000).
The gesture goes to five farming communities across the country including Noo Kunda and Jurunku in the North Bank Region, Dobong Kunda in the Central River Region while Jarra Madina in the Lower River Region has two tractors.
Representing the minister of Agriculture at the handing over ceremony Musa M Humma, the Deputy Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Agriculture said farming mechanization is a crucial input for agricultural crop production, saying that farm mechanization had been neglected in developing countries and the Gambia is no exception.
“The factors that reduce the availability of farm power comprise the availability of cultivating the land which has been recognizing as a crucial factor of the government efforts to reduce poverty especially among the rural communities,” he said.
He added that: “Increasing the power of supply means that more tasks will be completed on the right time and greater area can be opened for increase in production and productivity of crops.”
He then said the marching grant scheme will serve as opportunities to help in driving the agricultural mechanization to improve assets for investment on farming activities, adding that his ministry is aware of the challenges affecting farmers in accessing the marching grant as a result of financial condition that enable small farm holders to access the funds.
Amie Fabureh, the Director of Horticulture Technical Service commended Nema for its effort in empowering the farmers, saying this is not the first time this agricultural project is supporting farmers to boosting the status of agriculture in the country.
Ms Fabureh added that the agricultural officials are proud to associate themselves with the collaborative in providing grants to farmers as well as entrepreneurs to serve their respective communities.
“Farming machines are challenging for the farmers, therefore, providing such farming equipment for them will improve crop production and productivity. Nema is here to complement the government efforts especially the ministry of agriculture, hence, this will enhance crop productive and production,” he noted.
Bai Jabang, the Project Manager described the event as a landmark in implementing the project by handing over the Tractors to the beneficiaries, saying that this is the first of its kind in implementing such project in the country.
He disclosed that his office is working on to design a new project that will also helping in the advancing of the agricultural status in the country, adding his institution had been disbursing similar projects where farming equipments were given to farmers but some of those equipments were not care for to the expectation.
“Therefore, group of people can put together business plans and jointly provide equipment such as farm machinery for land development because I could recall that during the President’s tour to meet the farmers most of the request was farmer machinery. However, Nema had provided nothing less than twenty- five million dalasi on farm machinery and FASDEP also provided similar amount,” said Jabang.