By Seedy Darboe
Sammagi Association is in preparation to represent The Gambia for the first time in an international competition on livestock in Senegal that would feature livestock like cattle, sheep, goats, horses, donkeys, chickens and pigs.
The rearing method used is mainly traditional and most production is targeted at the domestic market. It would take span of eleven days which starts on January 17 to 27.
Sammagi Association established to dealing with livestock breeding that aims to attaining food self-sufficiency in the country.
Ousman Chorr, who spoke at a news conference said: “today mark the turning point in the Gambian livestock industry. Livestock enthusiast in the Gambia have come to realize the pivotal role that livestock plays in the economy of this nation.”
The realization has motivated livestock breeders of various organization and group to organize themselves and focus their energy in to realizing set objective which are, he said.
According to him, the continue coordination and collaboration of various livestock actors in the Gambia caught the eye of the fellow livestock breeders in the neighboring Senegal.
The livestock production system in the Gambia contributes about 25% of annual agricultural GDP and 5% of total national GDP. From 1980 the economic contribution of the livestock sector to the Gambia’s GDP has progressively increased from 4% to 5.5% with the monetary value realized by the sector increasing from D18.1 million in 1982 to D28.3 million in 1996.
