By: Nyima Sillah
Master Famers Cooperative Association (MaFCA)SecretaryGeneral, Amadou Bah, has said issues of farmers in The Gambia are one-sided thus the government only focuses on issues of fertilizer.
“Fertilizer is the famous issue that the government usually concentrates on. It is the truth that a farm cannot be fertile without the use of fertilizer but the government concentrates too much on the issues of fertilizer. We have other necessary issues that are vital and can boost agriculture to another level, but the issue of fertilizer has buried all those issues,” he cried out.
He added that “it is also the truth when it comes to fertilizer the government subsidizes a lot still, farmers don’t get enough fertilizers needed on their farms, and they have other burning issues that could be resolved.”
He quickly pointed out that materials like tractors, power tillers, and other machines are issues that should be considered by the government because most of the Gambians still use caws, donkeys, and horses to cultivate their farms.
“In this modern era of technology, the entire world has changed. Donkeys and cows don’t have the power anymore to do certain work. If you depend on using donkeys or caws to cultivate your farm, they will die within 1-2 years or get extremely weak,” Bah explained to The Voice on Monday.
According to him, governments of most of the neighboring countries help their farmers with power tillers to ease their work on the farm, saying the government needs to look at these issues, and always have a dialogue with farmers even if they are going to buy and give it to them as a loan that they will be paying gradually.
“The use of machines will ease the work of farmers, reduce the amount we spend on animal feed, and also help animals to live long as they will not overwork. The government has to shift attention to other issues affecting farmers,” Bah stated.
He cited that during the former government, in the era of ex-President Jammeh, power tillers were supplied to the farmers.
