Demba Sabally, Minister of Agriculture
By Buba Gagigo
Demba Sabally, Minister of Agriculture, reported during the quarterly Presidential delivery forum at the State House that his Ministry has distributed 11,000 bags of fertilizer at no cost, separate from the subsidized fertilizer provided to farmers.
According to a State House report, the Ministry also distributed over 200 metric tonnes of rice seeds and 400 tonnes of maize seeds to farmers across the country at no cost. In addition, they ploughed over nine thousand hectares of farmland, offering subsidized services to help boost crop production and promote healthier plant growth.
“During the quarterly Presidential delivery forum at the State House in Banjul, The Ministry of Agriculture reported it distributed eleven thousand bags of fertilizer at no cost, separate from the heavily subsidized fertilizer for farmers. In addition, over 200 metric tonnes of rice seeds and 400 tonnes of maize seeds were also distributed to farmers nationwide at no charge. The Ministry also reported ploughing over nine thousand hectares of land for farmers and subsidized costs to increase crop yields by promoting healthy plant growth,” State House reported.
The report further mentioned that following President Barrow’s call for the private sector to invest in commercial agriculture to enhance rice production in The Gambia, the Ministry of Agriculture has been actively assisting private and commercial sectors in addressing financial difficulties.
Additionally, it is noted that during the quarterly meeting, the Minister of Agriculture, Honourable Demba Sabally, announced that the Ministry has provided over twenty million Dalasi in grants to improve farmers’ access to finance and strengthen their resilience. “This will boost both productivity and production,” the Minister stated.
“One of the new entrants in commercial rice cultivation, Jah Oil, has developed 1,200 hectares of land in the Central River Region for industrial rice production, along with Marou Farms and other commercial farmers are beneficiaries of support from the agriculture projects, including rice seeds, technical and in some cases financial support,” State House reported.The State House further revealed that the Ministry has established the National Rice Secretariat under the Gambia Accelerated Rice Sufficiency Initiative (GARSI). This secretariat will coordinate all rice-related activities across the country, paving the way toward achieving rice self-sufficiency.
In response to the presentation, the statement concluded that President Barrow expressed his satisfaction and urged the Ministry to intensify their efforts.
“Reacting to the presentation, President Barrow expressed his satisfaction with the presentation and encouraged the Ministry to double their efforts. At its appearance at the third quarter of the Delivery Forum, the Ministry of Agriculture updated the Presidency on its recent achievements and developments since its last appearance in March 2024,” the statement concluded.