By: Haruna Kuyateh
At least nine communities in the North Bank Region (NBR) have benefited from the ROOTS Project farm materials given to support farmers within the project intervention areas.
The farm equipment given to the beneficiaries will help them in their daily farm work and boost food security in the North Bank Region.
The rainy season rice production input subsidy support program 2024 communities/sites that benefited from this included Jurunku, Sitanunku, Kerr Ngoyan, Bakang Karantaba, SuwarehKunda, Saaba, Kinteh Kunda Janneh Ya, Njaba Kunda and Salikeni.
Demba Sanyang, the Regional Coordinator for ROOTS Project NBR recently spoke to GRTS in Kerewan saying the ploughing services and inputs support subsidy given to rice farmers are crucial to the timely sowing of seeds.
However, he said farmers described the support as relevant, noting that the 2023 inputs support contributed immensely in strengthening rice production and works towards attaining of bumper harvest.
As for vegetables, he said the ROOTS project supported vegetable gardens with improved seeds through SOLICITA Marketing Federation, as part of promoting year-round vegetable production.
ROOTS project inputs subsidy, he disclosed, aimed at strengthening farmers’ capacity to enhance the rice value chain, and increase rice production and market.
Demba Sanyang went on to say that the project through its youth matching grant, would support youths with rice threshers to address and control post-harvest losses. The scheme has no collateral arrangement and all that is required is commitment and payment of 10% while the project will pay 90%.
However, the support provided to the additional five new and existing four communities included ha plow, bags of improved rice seed, bags of fertilizer NPK and Urea, some liters of herbicides, knapsack, sets of protective gears, and rice threshers.