By Adama Makasuba
The Gambia Livestock Association is currently touring the pastoral field schools in the country aimed to promote animal husbandry and look into challenges the area in the country.
The training dubbed Farmers ‘Bantaba’ came after the Association trained 56 of its members who were selected from various communities of the four administrative regions to have been trained on animal husbandry, production, and health.
And it is expected to be represented across all the regions in the country except west coast region, the Association said.
Speaking to GRTS on Tuesday via telephone interview, Ebrima Jallow, president of the Association said: “these are farmer’s field schools where individual farmers are selected within a community and they are being trained on animal husbandry, production, and health.”
He said the participants were tasked to represent the association at their various communities where farmers would come and seek assistant on animal husbandry and lodge their problems.
He said this initiative will help farmers a lot in addressing their plights, adding that the extension workers cannot do it all alone, adding that“this is going to help farmers that the farmers are being communicated to the farmers.”
Despite lamenting about lacking of flow of communication, he said these trainees will serve as sub-extension workers to help farmers with knowledge and skills.
However, Mr Jallow expressed worried that “when I was in Garawol day before yesterday we were informed by the community that they lose almost 80% of their donkeys have all died. So I wonder how those farmers are going to face this rainy season.”
He called on the relevant authorities to quickly do something about to and avoid any future challenges for the farmers.