I wished these farmers had asked these same questions before they voted for
Jammeh and whomever. They were in the same predicament last year, and the
year before, etc. The bags of rice they got for their votes are finished a
long time ago. Where is the person they voted for in the presidential
elections? Where are the NAMs that represent them? Who would they vote for
if the elections were held again, today? As long as there are inducements,
I have to say Jammeh. You see, our farmers have a long history with
politicians in our country and the glue that held that bond has been
inducements by the incumbents. As long as our people are willing to take
the bait, the late night advertisers in the form of Baba Jobe, Yankuba
Touray, and other sly foxes will forever dangle their trinkets to get their
vote. When are we going to learn. Please read on.
"Be Concerned Over Our Predicament" - Frustrated Farmers Urge Nams
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The Independent (Banjul)
May 17, 2002
Posted to the web May 17, 2002
Samba S. Sowe
Banjul
Farmers have urged National Assembly members to show concern for the
multitude of problems confronting them in the marketing of their groundnuts.
In a chart with this reporter on Saturday, farmers in the Lower and Central
River Divisions, expressed their worry over the sale of their groundnuts,
which they described as totally imsatisfactory.
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They called on National Assembly members to convey their plights to
government, for as they put it, it is the duty of Assembly members, as their
representatives to ensure that their groundnuts are sold at appropriate
price. "Everyone knows that farmers are suffering because up till now we are
yet to sell some of our groundnuts", a female farmer complained.
In Niamina (CRD), one of the farmers, Ebrima Bah complain they are
perturbed, having toiled laboriously for over eight months, only to
helplessly watch the fruits of their labour waste.
In the same vein, he called on National Assembly members to work very hard
to find a lasting solution to the problem because it is not insurmountable.
Momodou Camara of Jarra described farming in the country as very difficult.
"Most of us in the rural areas are farmers and depend on the proceeds from
the sale of our groundnuts to feed our families. How does the government now
expect us to feed when we cannot sell our groundnuts?" He asked, adding that
they even borrowed money to finance some of their farming operations, with
the hope of settling the loan with proceeds from the sale of the produce.
"How can we settle the debts, when we cannot even feed?" he quarried.
He described farmers in NBD as very lucky because the chief of Lower Niumi,
Alhagie Tabora Manneh, and Saliefu Jaiteh bought their groundnuts, saying he
looks forward to the day when LRD and CRD farmers would be as lucky as them.
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