Today Newspaper - Online Edition - The Gambia's Quality Newspaper: Gambia Rice Project holds review meeting in Kerewan

Gambia Rice Project holds review meeting in Kerewan
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 HARUNA KUYATEH, NBR on 24 December, 2009 09:01:00
 
Governor Eduwarr Seckan of North Bank Region has commended the Taiwanese
Technical Mission for their support for the country’s drive to attain food
security and improve the lives of rural households.  The governor was speaking
during a one week review of The Gambia Rice Project with an official of the
Taiwanese Technical Mission, staff of the regional agricultural directorate and
farmers in Kerewan recently.
The objective of the review aims to know the impact of the project on the
beneficiaries in the effort to attain food security and it contributes to
poverty reduction in households.  The North Bank governor hailed the President
Sheikh Professor Dr. Yahya Jammeh for giant strides in his partnership with the
Taiwanese government in designing a four year rice project and expressed delight
at the bumper harvest realized by many farmers in the cultivation of Nerica
rice.
In addressing the gathering, the Taiwanese technical mission applauded staff of
the regional agricultural directorate services for their commitment and support
in the transfer of knowledge and skills in a bid to enhance the chances of a
bumper harvest and contribute to food security in the household.
The official noted that the project would increase the land area under
cultivation in the coming season from 1, 585.6 hectares in 2009 to 2000 hectares
in 2010, to enable many interested farmers to cultivate Nerica rice and improve
food availability.
Commenting on farm implements, the mission promised to look into some of the
concerns raised by farmers concerning post harvest loss.
Also speaking at the occasion, Alasan Bah, a focal person for the Nerica
project in the region thanked the project for providing farm inputs to the 1330
male and 2468 women farmers.  The aid totaled 95,096 kgs and 117,360kgs of NPK
and 58,680 kgs of Urea. The provision of these farm inputs on grants encouraged
many farmers to venture into Nerica production and this significantly
contributed to food availability in most households.
Mr. Bah was delighted with the level of involvement and commitment shown by
farmers and hoped it would have multiplying effects on the other farmers outside
the project area, as improved Nerica rice seeds would be easily available to
farmers.  He thanked the Taiwanese technical mission for providing power tillers
to farmers at a reasonable price and noted that the provision of additional
power tillers and post harvest equipment would immensely contribute to the
reduction of post harvest loss in the field.
Speaking on behalf of farmers, Kebba Kinteh of Kerewan and Njoba Sarr of Pakau
Njogu in Upper Nuimi expressed gratitude to the President and the Taiwanese
Technical Mission for contributing to the attainment of food availability.  The
beneficiary farmers noted that this year’s season witnessed many farmers,
notably men getting into rice cultivation.  They urged the project to continue
to provide them with more farm implements.