From November 27th to 30th, Maruo Farm was a busy scene; the rice fields and farm of a Gambian-owned agribusiness in Sapu, Central River Region that produces and packages rice made in The Gambia. The combine harvester was busy harvesting the golden rice, and the tractor was busy transporting the abundant harvested rice. The team of China-Aid Project of Agriculture Technical Assistance to the Gambia held an agricultural mechanical operation technical training in the farm. There were 11 local mechanical operators participating in this training. The teaching mainly includes: key points of operate, safety operation attention, technologies of common troubleshooting, daily maintenance and other points of the combine harvester and DONGFANGHONG 904 tractor. During the training, Du Yingchao, the agricultural mechanical expert of the project team, conquered the high temperature, surmounted the hardship and fatigue, taught the technology patiently and carefully, and finally completed the teaching program.
This project is the first agricultural technical assistance project to Gambia after China recovered diplomatic relationship with the Gambia. Since arriving at Sapu in June 2019, in order to localize crop varieties and agricultural talent and technology, promote Gambia agricultural productivity level, the Chinese agriculture team actively looking for have a certain planting scale, have enthusiasm to agricultural production, have a certain production capacity of the company or farmers as a model for technical guide.
Maruo Farm, which produces and packages rice made in The Gambia, is located in Central River Region and owns 30 hectares of paddy fields. Its legal representative, Musa Darboe has studied abroad in communication engineering. After returning, Musa Darboe has great enthusiasm for agricultural productivity, and changing the Gambia backward agricultural productivity through their own efforts. Chinese agriculture team provides Musa Darboe technical support and helps him to solve the problems on planting. In cooperation with the Chinese agricultural team, rice production is expected to increase by 20% this quarter.
On November 26, President Barrow visited the farm and attended the rice harvesting ceremony held by the Chinese agriculture team. Together with Chinese ambassador Ma Jianchun, they boarded the combine harvester assisted by China, actived the harvester and started the harvest ceremony.
Through the agricultural mechanical operation technical training, these 11 local mechanical operators can safely, skillfully operate advanced agricultural machinery, master the exclusion and daily maintenance of common troubleshooting of agricultural machinery. In this training, the Chinese agriculture team not only teaches mechanical skills but also helps Maruo Farm harvest 16,250 kg of rice, improve the farm’s efficiency, received high evaluation of the farm. Musa Darboe also hopes to keep cooperation with Chinese agriculture team in the future.
