By Adama Makasuba
President Adama Barrow has said one of the best solutions to the high cost of food is agriculture, adding that his administration is doing everything possible to address the situation.
Speaking to reporters at the Banjul international airport upon his return from a two-day state visit to DR Congo, he said his government is doing everything possible to see how best “we can partner with people who have the capacity so that they can be importing rice into this country.”
“But the best solution is for us to go back to the land to see how best we can industrialise our agriculture because we have the capacity to produce enough rice for this country. I think that is the best solution for this country,” he said.
The president’s comments come after the national assembly member for Latrikunda Sabiji Saikou Marong told the national assembly to intervene and ask the government to address the plights of Gambian people by solving prices on goods in the market.
“Let me quickly talk about the prices of commodities in our markets. Madam Speaker, what doubts me must be that if you go to the market today and you buy something at the cost of D10 dalasi from the same shop and the same product – go there the next day they will charge you D12 or D13 dalasis,” he said.
“And yet still the government is not talking about it. Madam speaker, what we are experiencing in our markets…
“Yes, we have a system that we cannot impose prices on people to sell their products, but if that system is not working, what do we do? We have to change that system. It cannot be the same business because Ramadan is fast approaching and it is just not fair,” he added.