By: Haruna Kuyateh
Action Aid International the Gambia in partnership with Njawara Agricultural Training Centre NATC are implementing European Union funded project dubbed Agro Ecology and Eco Restoration Practices from 1st August2020 to 31st July 2021 to enhance resilience building for most vulnerable farmers in Central River Region South and North Bank Region.
The program target women and youths to have seed and take up farming and help to address irregular migration. The D3million is earmarked for seed and cereal banking and included management, procurement, rehabilitation and transportation of seed to stock piling centres.
The project organized training program for seed and cereal bank management for 67 farmers drawn within the thirty intervention communities in NBR and CRR on good governance and seed bank management, held at Njawara Agricultural Training Centre in the North Bank Region.
Speaking to The Voice Foday Kanyi, project manager underscored the significant of working with farmers through partnership agreement with Njawara Agricultural Training Centre in strengthening capacity on the operation of seed and cereal banking to enable vulnerable farmers to have access to quality and improved climate resilience seed.
He said the project is rehabilitating six seed stores and it includes; Munyagen, Jalaba, Sittanunku and Kerr Mama in NBR and Nanaba & Misira Touben in CRR South. The stores will serve as stock piling centres for maize, millet, groundnut and paddy rice.
according to him, Action Aid International The Gambia value partnership with line agency National Seed Secretariat NSS and Department of Agriculture to ensure award of contract for supply of 90 tons of assorted seed are provide through opening of tender for potential and eligible contractors to support the project and ensure timely delivery and distribution to stock piling centres for onwards distribution.
“It will be 36tons of groundnut, 26tons of millet, maize 22.5tons and 7.5tons of paddy rice,” he disclosed.
Mustapha Sanneh, official from Department of Agriculture said: “quality seed enhance germination, growth and development of plants.”
He urged farmers to do away with pesticides chemical as it is dangerous and not good on plants and whilst urged them to seek information from frontline extension workers on adoption of best agronomic practices.
Mama Sonko of Badibou Gunjur and Haddy Drammeh of Kerr Ndongo commended Action Aid International the Gambia for their invaluable support to farmers and most importantly vulnerable families. The duos said the skills learnt from the training have enhanced resilience building and assured of their collaboration to boost food production and productivity.