By Mustapha Jarju
More than twenty farmers in Jalambang village have decided not to cultivate in this year’s rainy season due to animal intrusion in their farmlands.
One of the farmers, Lamin Drammeh, known as “Wandifa” a native of Jalambang Village, and a former mechanic said they cannot be farming while animals destroy their crops.
Drammeh who left mechanic for farming revealed that currently, more than twenty (20) people in the area said they were not farming this year because of the uncontrolled animals that spoilt their farms in previous years.
“I will cultivate, but if my crop yields, any animal that invades my farm, I will take it,” he said as he is ready to take the law into his hands, saying they have taken the issue to all necessary authorities but none of them intervene.
More so he said, the Alkalo said he is tired and the chief said they should leave them and police came took some pictures of them and nothing positive came out of it, and even those responsible for animals were called by one of the CID officers in the name of “Jammeh” to come and see the animals and the damage caused, they didn’t come.
“My message to the Gambian Government is that youth are working but you cannot work while animals like donkey, cow, and goat come and trample or feed on your farmland,” he reiterated that if they grow, groundnut, Maize, and bean at Jalambang, animals spoil it.
He further claimed that “Before the government uses citizens’ money to spend on farmers’ tours to visit farmers, let them advice animal owners.
“President Barrow is our leader, I want him to be aware of this to address these people to control their animals,” he appealed and further continued that he wants his family to entirely depend on the farm produce from his farming.