By: Nyima Sillah
The Israel government through its embassy in Dakar has donated irrigation equipment and reserve tank to the University of The Gambia’s school of agriculture that aimed to support students of the university to practice the theoretical aspect of agriculture in order to enhance agricultural productivity and research of their farm at the Faraba Banta campus.
Speaking at the presentation held at the UTG premises in Kanifing, the acting vice-chancellor, Prof Pierre Gomez, said that agriculture is not literature so there is a need for practical than to the research.
“This is the revolution in the school of agriculture that is taking place and the Dean and his colleagues have started working towards that and hopefully by next year the entire process will be complete and they will now roll it out,” he said.
Prof Sidat Yaffa, the Dean of the School of Agriculture and Environmental Science, highlighted some of the successes concerning their collaboration with the Israel embassy in Dakar.
“About two years ago, the same embassy funded 30 schools of agriculture and science students to go and study practical training in Israel for eleven months, and all those thirty students have completed their training,” he said.
“The embassy this year has fully funded ten students from the school of agriculture and environmental science to go to Israel for studies We are very thankful and we plan to expand this cooperation not only for students but even for the lab,” he added.
Also, speaking at the presentation was the Deputy Ambassador HE Waleed Gadban, he said: “Agriculture is not the last result is a choice that they make that is implemented in the society and community. I visited a few farms in the Gambia, they are doing a good job that we men should have done it better. I want again to make sure that students get the capacity to invest in agriculture.”
“We can donate tractors, we can donate irrigation system, but if you lack the motivation and lack the drives to succeed in this agriculture field and making business, make your community better that means, maybe you have chosen the wrong major,” he said.
He said that they are determined and will continue supporting any other actors in the agricultural sector in the Gambia while he called on authorities and stakeholders to support young people in this endeavour.
