By Ramatoulie Jawo
Halifa Sallah, Secretary General and Party Leader of the People’s Democratic Organisation for Independence and Socialism (PDOIS), has called for stronger support for farmers and a renewed focus on local rice production. He made this appeal during a recent community engagement in Jarra Sankwia as part of his nationwide tour.
Addressing villagers, Hon. Sallah highlighted the challenges posed by rice importation, asserting that The Gambia has the potential to meet its own rice needs.
“The rice we import from other countries can be grown here in the Gambia,” he remarked. “One hectare of land can produce five tones of rice, but instead of farming it here locally, we are continuing to import it from outside the country. And if you look, most of the imported rice are not suitable for human consumption because any rice that has worms in it, is not good enough for human consumption. That is why the Saddam rice is more expensive because it is of high quality than the other rices and all these types of rice can be grown here in the Gambia,” he said.
He underscored that locally produced rice would not only reduce dependency on imports but also provide healthier and safer food for Gambians.
To achieve this goal, Sallah urged the government to invest significantly in agriculture by providing farmers with essential resources such as fertilizers, seeds, and modern farming equipment. He stressed that empowering farmers is key to overcoming the challenges faced by the agricultural sector and fostering national development.
Sallah also criticized the current system of determining groundnut prices, advocating for greater involvement of farmers in pricing decisions.“The farmers should have their association and that association should have a voice to sit with the government to see where they are going to sell their groundnuts. The association would ensure that farmers know where their groundnuts are being sold and at what prices, allowing for an agreement that will guarantee fair pricing,” he said.
He argued that the lack of such systems deprives farmers of fair earnings and called for strategic changes to guarantee that farmers receive their due rewards.