By: Nicholas Bass
A Young Farmer, Yankuba Bittaye of Tujereng village has shared his successful farming experience with this medium for others to emulate as he anticipates supplying thousands of bags of oranges to local markets across the country.
Yankuba Bittaye was raised by a farmer called Ismaila Bittayewith her lovely wife, Karafa Darboe both from Tujerengvillage. He developed an interest in farming during his childhood days in his father’s community where he attended his Primary and Upper Basic Schools before his transit into Nusrat Senior Secondary School in Kanifing Municipality.
Upon completion of his secondary education, Yankuba was highly favoured by his father who apportioned 130 square meters of land to him where he planted 365 orange trees.
According to Yankuba, his father always paid his and his sibling’s school fees from farming proceeds.
“This inspired me to venture into farming to close the gaps of importation of oranges into The Gambia,” he elucidated.
Yankuba Bittaye’s passion for farming was never varnished despite the lack of a borehole and a secured fence on his farm for growing oranges and vegetables.
His desire for farming prompted him to start with a sum of twenty thousand Dalasis (D20,000) with a priority of digging a well that enabled him to water his plants daily.
More so, he was inspired to venture into farming at his tender age from the harvest of three hundred and sixty-five (365) orange trees, he is optimistic about supplying 1000 bags of oranges to the local markets stressing that such will bridge the gap of high cost of oranges in The Gambian markets.
“After a careful consideration of the high importation of oranges into the country, in February 2018 I decided to plant fifty (50) orange trees together with vegetables to contribute my quota in reducing importation of oranges and unemployment for youths in The Gambia,” Yakuba stated.
With 50 orange trees, he believes that if properly taken care the yearly harvest from oranges can sustain a family’s upkeep, as the lifespan of orange trees may go up to 40 years without infection thus a bag of oranges is at the cost of D1500.
However, Yankuba Bittaye praised the Gambia Investment and Export Promotion Agency (GiEPA) for the training accorded him in becoming a successful farmer, and appreciated them for helping him to register his orange farm in the name of Bittaye’s Garden.
The young farmer was fortunate to secure a D250,000 water solar project through the guidance of GiEPA who exposed him to visit different farms across the country.
Currently, he is accommodating 27 women farming different types of vegetables on his farm as they (women) are helping him water his orange plants.
He challenged the youths to venture into orange farming stressing that if youths’ plant 500 orange trees annually, the importation of oranges from Cassamace will be minimized.
“One can make a better living in the Gambia, going through illegal migration into Europe for white colour jobs is not the solution for many are perishing in the ocean,” Bittayelamented.
He appealed to NGOs, individuals, philanthropists, the government, and patriotic Gambians to support his desire to plant 1000 orange trees.
Meanwhile, Yankuba Bittaye is selling sweet oranges at a reasonable price of D1500 per bag. For more inquiries, phone Bittaye on 2791042.