The officials of the Project Two of the Programme to Strengthen Resilience to Food and Nutrition Insecurity in the Sahel (P2-P2RS) together with partners from the National Seeds Secretariat (NSS) and the Department of Agriculture have embarked on a field visit to the Findi Farm Foundation in Banjulinding, West Coast Region, on Friday 11October, 2024.
The visit aims to assess the level of cultivation, innovative methods as well as identify the potentialities for possible expansion of Findi production across the country.
The Findi Farm Foundation cultivated three hectares of land using drill and broadcast planting methods. The varieties under cultivationโMomosato, Momo, and NARI Oneโare intended for distribution to farmers in other regions. The goal is to strengthen the supply of high-quality Findi seeds, which will enhance the resilience of farming communities to food and nutrition insecurity.
Mr. Morro Manga, Director General of the National Seeds Secretariat, hailed the initiative, highlighting the resilience and adaptability of Findi to tropical soil and climatic conditions. He emphasised that Findi is one of the main crops with the potential to thrive even with minimal rainfall.
Mr. Bakary Gassama, Regional Director of Agriculture in the West Coast Region underscored the nutritional value of Findi, which he said could significantly help in addressing the Gambia’s food security concerns, if exploited. He lauded the ongoing efforts to promote large-scale Findi production in the country, called on farmers to diversify their production.
The Operations Director of P2-P2RS, Mr. Ansuman Njie, expressed appreciation and gratitude to the National Seeds Secretariat team for their work in developing high-quality Findi seeds. He reiterated the importance of quality seed production in promoting mass cultivation of Findi in the country, stating that the project is committed to enhancing the entire value chainโfrom seed production to distribution and consumption.
Mr. Njie revealed that the P2-P2RS intends to purchase Findiseeds and distribute them among Gambian farmers, with the goal of scaling up its production and productivity.
He assured that the project would continue to work closely with key partners to ensure the sustainability of these interventions, while committing to improving the quality of Findi seeds available to farmers.
The collaboration between the P2-P2RS project, the NSS, and other agricultural stakeholders signals a unified effort to promote the economic and nutritional benefits of Findiproduction in The Gam
