By: Haruna Kuyateh
The Community of Jurunku in North Bank Region has launched an appeal for help following an outbreak of fire that consumed 29 heaps of unthresh rice.
The fire was said to have been started by overheated generator used by rice thresher causing a great deal of loss to the community which is now appealing to National Disaster Management Agency, Gambia Red Cross Society GRCS and other humanitarian organisations to come to their aid.
The rice field form part of 72ha plough by ROOTS project to support intensive rice cultivation.
Chief Momodou Chatty Cham, speaking to The Voice on Monday, disclosed that 29 heaps of rice were all burnt and left farmers with no hope.
He noted that the destruction was a big loss to the families and reiterated the need for ROOTS to support farmers with more rice threshers to enable farmers to process rice and reduce labor intensity. Upper Nuimi Chief disclosed that the cause of fire was associated to electrical spark from the rice thresher generator.
Governor Lamin Saidykhan described the intervention of ROOTS at Jurunku as a big boost to rice production, citing ploughing of 72ha, rice seed and fertilizer. He noted with great concern for the mobilization of humanitarian assistance to affected families, as they lost huge amount of rice.
However, during the recent visit by Regional Steering Committee to Jurunku rice field, women farmers appealed for the project to support them with rice threshers and tractor to facilitate transportation of farm produce and tricycles to ease daily movement of farmers to the rice field, as it is far from the village. The villagers hailed ROOTS for their intervention in transformation of rice production.
