Dear Mr. Jallow I definitely share your sentiments concerning the problems
faced by our farmers in recent years and in my honest opinion something
really drastic needs to be done to solve the issue of marketing their
produce. However you will agree with that education and health are
prerequsites for development.

You asked "what is THIS government's priority? How do you expect the poor
farmers to pay for their kids education in all the schools built when you
don't care if they get paid for their toil in the farms? How do you expect
these poor farmers to buy the medication and pay for the docters visit at
all your hospitals built". Well, these questions have been implicitly
answered by yourself. If you share my view that education and health are
prerequisites for development then you should agree that access to schools
and hospitals are very important. Would you also agree with me that the more
schools and hospitals we build the easier and cheaper "these poor farmers"
can access them?

For the country to move forward the level of poverty needs to be seriously
reduced and food production through the use of mechanised farming, improved
crop varities, adequate fertilizer and good marketing are essential. It is
my opinion that some of the government's programmes I highlighted are in the
right direction. The marketing of our farmers produce very abysmal at the
moment and suggestion as to how this can be improved should be everyone's
pre-occupation and not only government's.

Bye 4 Now.



>From: Bamba Laye Jallow <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list
><[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: So Much For Priorities???
>Date: Tue, 27 Feb 2001 12:14:35 -0800
>
>Recently we have read on this list from a Kebba Jobe the supposed "good
>things" done by the present government to uplift the well being of
>Gambians.
>He listed the number schools built, the tractors rented to farmers,
>hospitals built and the poverty alleviation program. I ask, what is THIS
>governments priority? How do you expect the poor farmers to pay for their
>kids education in all the schools built when you don't care if they get
>paid
>for their toil in the farms? How do you expect these poor farmers to buy
>the
>medication and pay for the doctors visit at all your hospitals built? How
>do
>you expect these farmers to feed their families? I would think that if you
>really care about poverty, good health and above average level of
>education,
>you will first make sure that each and every farming family gets the reward
>of their toil at the end of the farming season. How will you motivate
>farmers to send their kids to school when there is nothing to eat at home?
>When we trashed the likes of Hilo Trading - the facilitators of this scam -
>here on this forum, this was what we were trying to stop from happening.
>These poor farmers' harvest was taken from them months ago in anticipation
>of the meagre dalasis they are supposed to get, only to hear lie upon lies
>from these what nots. Not even talking about the fact that their families
>are scratching for food in anticipation!
>Who in their right frame of mind will peddle fringes about how well this
>governement is doing. My standards for good governance start from the
>buttom
>up, not from the top down. We need to look at how well the masses are
>fairing before we look at how many schools, hospitals, arches etc. are
>built. Those things are all secondary to the basic needs of the society.
>The story below was extracted from The Daily Observer at Allfrica.com.
>Shows
>just how "WELL" the poor farmers are doing.
>Read on!
>
>======================================================================
>Brikama Farmers Angry
>
>
>Daily Observer (Banjul)
>
>February 27, 2001
>Posted to the web February 27, 2001
>
>Augustus Mendy
>Banjul
>
>A group of farmers in Brikama and its environs have raised their voices in
>protest for the late payment for their groundnuts.
>
>Speaking to Daily Observer at the Brikama Co-operative Union offices, an
>angry-looking farmer said, "I brought my groundnuts here since January and
>up till now, I cannot get my money back and nothing has been done. Whenever
>I come here, they tell me my money will come tomorrow at 10 O'clock only to
>stay here till evening. Since January, I have not got a single butut."
>
>Another farmer, Lamin Danso, complained that he brought his groundnuts to
>the secco in mid-January but that he had not received a butut from the
>buyers. "My children,' he lamented, 'were nearly sent away from school
>because of school fees and Tobaski is fast approaching. I cannot even buy a
>ram for my family and worst of all, feeding is becoming a headache for my
>family."
>
>Yet another farmer noted that he was totally discouraged with the way
>farmers were being treated. "Imagine someone bringing 40 bags of groundnuts
>here for four weeks now and he could not get his money. But anyway, they
>have promised to pay us this week, "he said.
>
>To yet another, "I have been bringing my groundnuts here. This year, I
>brought about 400 bags in mid-February, thinking I was going to get my
>money
>without delay, only to be given the unending "go and come tomorrow"
>promises. What can we do about Tobaski, feeding and school fees?" he
>queried.
>
>Also speaking on the issue, Sarjo Jarju, a farmer, asserted that he was
>discouraged about the delay in payment, threatening to take his groundnuts
>to Casamance next year.
>
>Contacted, the secretary of state for Agriculture, Hassan Sallah, said all
>those who brought their groundnuts to Brikama in January were all paid
>except those who brought theirs in mid-February.
>
>"We are doing our best to pay them. We have already paid many, but within
>the next three days, D10 million will be disbursed to all seccos
>country-wide. I can understand that we bought about D87 million worth of
>groundnuts and only D70 million was paid, remaining D17 million, which we
>are trying to pay within three days."
>
>SoS Sallah disclosed that groundnuts worth D289,000 were bought at Brikama
>secco and that D255,000 was paid, remaining a balance of D43,729.6, which
>would be paid within three days. He reaffirmed the APRC government's
>commitment to farmers and said there should be no cause for alarm as they
>would be paid soon.
>======================================================================
>
>Abdoulie A. Jallow
>Toll-free number: 1-888-392-4832(Excite2)
>Personal extension for v/mail/fax: 291-368-1519
>
>
>
>
>
>_______________________________________________________
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