My apologies in advance for any typos.
Agriculture is the foundation of a nation
By Dr. Edgar Lin – Ambassador from ROC on Taiwan.
As an ecologist, I firmly believe that Nature knows best. A famous ecologist once said: “the main problem of the world are results of the differences between how nature works and how man thinks. Today any basic introductory course on ecology would teach us that the health and stability of nature come from the diversity of the ecosystem. Since the agricultural system is a type of the ecosystem, it is natural that the health and stability of a nation can also be derived from the diversity of her agricultural systems. Therefore the development of agricultural systems is the most urgent priority and agenda in any developing nation.
Unfortunately, by the end of the 20th century, many developing countries have been under pressure to catch up with the developed world, and to keep up with the Johns without giving thoughts to the nature and theory of economic development and to the strategic programs necessary for laying a solid for economic development of a nation. The past propensities for giant projects and grandiose industries, such as huge steel works and nuclear programs in many communist and African countries were cases in point. Moreover, it appeared to many leaders of the developing nations that the successful economic development of the developed nations hinged solely on the industries in conjunction with the development of science and technology. This misunderstanding of the processes of economic development misguided many good intentioned leaders in the developing nations to develop giant industries at the expense of the humble agricultural development.
Many admonishments from some knowledgeable leaders, such as “back to the land”, have echoed throughout the African continent. Yet self-sufficiency in food production still remains a dream in many African countries, big or small. Many years ago, Kester Brown, the president of the World Watch Institute based in Washington, DC wrote an article, “who will feed China?” in which he anticipated food shortage in future in the nation of 1.2 billion people, as the Chinese emphasised industrial development at the expense agricultural development. As a consequence, China must import a great quantity of surplus grains from the world market. Grain prices in the world market would rise and shortage and high prices in the world market would plunge many food-insufficient nations into famine. The scenario has come true in some African countries today. At least the warning should enlighten many African development planners.
Not that industrialisation is bad. There are sequential stages in economic development in theory and practice that all nations must follow. In spite of the mounting pressures to accelerate the development, there is no other alternative in any nation with more than 80% of farmers, to living on land first.
Since the arrival of the Taiwan Agricultural Technical Mission in The Gambia in 1996, the team with the Gambian experts experimented through more than 800 varieties of rice and selected 6 varieties that are better adapted to The Gambian lowland environment, and to the rain-fed conditions. Sure enough, the average output per hectare increased from 1.15 tons to 5 tons. The team with The Gambia Agricultural Experimentation Station is trying to improve the production by a new strain Nerica (New Rice for Africa), and improve the soil condition.
All in all, in less than 5 years, the areas of rice paddies in The Gambia have increased to 6350 hectares. Annual production of rice almost doubled from 18,950 tons in 1996 to 34,100 tons in 2000, saving more than $3 million foreign exchange for importing rice.
Great potential to expand areas for rice production exist in The Gambia. Currently, plans are underway to design and develop tidal irrigation system to increase the areas to more than 400 hectares in five years. Potentials for the areas utilising the rain resource during the rainy season also exist. According to the estimate, additional increase in rice production 115,600 tons per year is not an unreachable target.
Given the necessary investment and programs, The Gambia should be self-sufficient in rice production in 5 to 10 years. Of course, the potentials for agricultural production are not limited to rice production only. There are vegetable crops, fruit production and aquaculture.
However agricultural production is not cheap and easy either. Initial investments and technical know-how are essential; social and cultural changes are necessary for its success. Expensive or difficult, there is no alternative to a healthy development (note: more than economic development) other than agricultural development initially. Only through the surplus from the agricultural sectors, the small-medium business and industrial sectors can take off.
I am very glad to know that President Jammeh has admonished time and again the youth of The Gambia to “get back into farming and make the country food self-sufficient”. Today excessive industrialisation has been criticised by beyond sustainability and harmful to the spirit of humanity. People have begun to realise that after all, living on the land not only can give a quality life one finds nowhere else, but also it is the most ecological and spiritual way of life on earth.
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I hope some find some hope and inspiration in the above article. I know I did.
Have a good day, Gassa.