Maimuna Sey-Jawo
The minister of agriculture Omar Amadou Jallow has disclosed that the Jahally Pacharr rice field in the Central River Region will be handed back to their communal owners.
The era of working for an individual’s self interest, he said, will now become history in the country.
“The welfare of farmers in mechanizing agriculture is among my top aspiration. We will do all what we can do in this new dispensation with a view to ensure that farmers’ challenges are being addressed in order to better help them produce high agricultural production and productivity,” he noted.
Minister Jallow made this remark while speaking to farmers at the Jahally Pacharr rice field in CRR South. He informed the gathering that his tour was meant for him to get firsthand information on some of the issues hindering agriculture productivity in the country.
The agriculture minister added that lot of issues affecting farmers have been highlighted particularly with regard to water shortages, access to feeder roads in their rice fields, agricultural equipment such as threshers, power tillers, tractors, the need for timely availability of seeds, issues of hippos among host of others.
He said they are also going to revitalize certain deports and cooperative society across the country.
The agric minister stated that they will work hand-in-glove with agriculture project directors to make sure that farmers did not suffer as they suffered for the past 22 years, adding that the new government is ready to support farmers to bring back the cooperative society to the communities.
Agricultural production, he noted, has declined drastically in the last 22 years. 75% of rural youths, OJ added, have gone through the back-way something that he said has never happened before.
Minister Jallow said they are going to make a request to the government to see how best they can improve effectively on agriculture to make sure it takes its rightful place in the socio economic development of the country.
