Darboe requires agriculture revolution to attain meals safety
Opposition chief Ousainou Darboe has referred to as for a transformative give attention to agriculture, notably rice and millet cultivation, as a pathway to reaching meals safety and financial independence in The Gambia.
Speaking to residents of the Upper River Region (URR), Darboe pressured the nation’s potential to drastically scale back its reliance on pricey imports by absolutely utilising its fertile lands for large-scale farming.
Darboe urged Gambians to ascertain a future the place the nation can meet its personal rice calls for with out counting on overseas suppliers.
“We must set ambitious targets for rice production, determine how many tonnes we need annually, and progressively increase that number each year. Within a few years, The Gambia can achieve self-sufficiency, drastically lowering the cost of rice,” he stated.
He highlighted the financial burden brought on by importing rice with foreign exchange, which he described as unsustainable in the long run.
Darboe referred to as for better authorities funding and coverage help to strengthen native agricultural initiatives.
He praised the efforts of firms like MARRO FARM within the Central River Region (CRR) and JAH OIL Company, that are main the cost in business rice farming, however emphasised that these initiatives want further help to totally realise their potential.
Darboe additionally mirrored on the challenges of overseas dependency as was demonstrated in the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, which uncovered the nation’s over-reliance on overseas meals provides.
“During the pandemic, we depended entirely on other countries for our food, leaving us vulnerable. We must learn from this and prioritise agriculture to secure our future,” he stated.
He underscored the significance of different staple crops comparable to maize, millet, and coos, which he stated have twin advantages. Locally, they contribute to meals safety, whereas on the worldwide stage, they function helpful export commodities that may increase overseas change earnings.
He additionally highlighted their potential within the manufacturing of uncooked supplies for manufacturing, creating alternatives for industrial development.
He emphasised that reaching meals self-sufficiency is not only about decreasing imports however about constructing financial resilience, guaranteeing sustainability, and reworking The Gambia into an agricultural powerhouse.
By Adama Makasuba
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