"……His reference to President Jammeh's call for our youths to return to the land is also quite appropriate here. This is so because when Jammeh tells us to return to the land he is not referring to those who are already there. He is referring basically to those without the skills or education to compete for the limited jobs in the GBA but who, nontheless, would rather be roaming about our streets and doing nothing gainful." Jungle, Our attitude to what development is, in my opinion, is what is sometimes difficult to understand. The decadency in our towns is not because there are farmland lying barren just waiting for youths to plug their heads into tractors and change their status from been pest "roaming about our streets and doing nothing gainfull" to become professional farmers. What is real and the truth is that we have a government that prefers taking loan to build a four lane highway in the middle of the biggest town in our country whiles our farmer continue to struggle with a back breaking hoe in a futile attempt to feed a nation rapidly growing and promote economic development. It is not poor "uneducated" farmers who are thinking this way, it is the Dr, and half educated and well educated people who are doing such thinking. Going by the geography of rice production in our country, you will find out that even at the surroundings of Gambia high school, as late as the 70s urban dwellers were growing rice there. The call for a return back to the land is a call for political consumption,I will come to that. This call even if sincere, is not seriously taking note to the need of our nation. The call is geared towards the urban youths and my argument is that, we don't need more farmers, better the condition (Socaily, economically and technically) of the farmers we have and our food problem will be solved. It is as simple as this and anything else is political propaganda. Why because, unemployment has not been reduced in the urban areas, since this government came to power, it has been increasing, there is the Rural /urban migration rapidly taking palce, because farming have become more and more impossible to live by, not even a decent two meal a day is easy. We read this every now and then in Gambian newspapers. The state has not been able to create jobs and her policy, on for example, the groundnut-growing sector, is creating more uneploytment. Instead of using her energy to address this serious situation, the state behaves as if the problem is that urban youths don't want to work but there is work to do. The same sentiments you expressed at the end of your above quoted statement. ".. At least such people would be able to make our farmers better understand how certain farming practices may be more appropriate than others. They would also be in a better position to use fertilizers more appropriately as well as a more effective use of manure and compost. This line of thought is supported by Dr. Edgar, when he wrote:" If you, President Jammeh and the Dr believed that what is needed here are technical experts to guide our farmers in the technicalities of farming, why make it a political jargon when all you need is to build educational training facilities and more emphasis on agriculture in the educational curriculum at all level, all of which are at the disposal of president Jammeh.But if you, the Dr and President believed that an educated farmer is more productive than the uneducated then this will mark the first failure on the way for a more productive farming for sufficient food production.And jungle,you and the DR should by now understand that there are very few farmers in this world who care less about a college certificate and this did not make them poor farmers. You don't need any formal education to become a good farmer. The problem is not even that our farmers are uneducated (illiterates) thus are poor farmers and not able to produce enough food, the problem is that the majority of our farmers are still using a back breaking hoe and getting paid. Simple thinking, what is the on going programme for the majority of the Gambian population who are the "uneducated" farmers? Will those are not paid get their monies? what will happen to them if the most productive sector in farming is controlled by the "educated" youths? Another important thing that you and the Dr are not informing us about China, is that farming in some areas is of high technical quality, Chine is producing and selling rice but there are Chinese who are very hungry because they are poor. Your"line of thought" might very well succeed in marking Gambia a high quality rice producing nation whiles Gambians go hungry. Just like the other story we read in the Independent newspaper, that people were complaining for not been able to buy fish because it is not available in the market, and Gambia is one of the few remaining big fishing nations. For freedom saiks >===== Original Message From The Gambia and related-issues mailing list <[log in to unmask]> ===== >As a small contribution, I wish to point out that "self-sufficiency" in food may not always be a realistic goal given the ever changing conditions for agricultural production and of world economy. What may be more realistic to aim at is food security. If we can't produce it ourselves we should be economically strong enough to purahse it. > ----- Original Message ----- > From: Jungle Sunrise > To: [log in to unmask] > Sent: 02 June, 2002 3:53 PM > Subject: Re: Something for the weekend. > > > Saiks wrote: > > "Why is it that more than half of our population are involved in agriculrural production and still hungry,whiles in America and Europe a very few percent of their population are involved in food production and have enough food for themselves and the left overs for us(Food Aid) ?The truth is that, agricultural production is very backward in our country and not industrilised,been at the stage it is,there will be no enough labour power to produce enough food for ourselves". > > Saiks, Dr. Edgar answered your querries when he wrote: > > "Given the necessary investment and programs, The Gambia should be self-sufficient in rice production in 5 to 10 years." > > The above statement gives hope to the average Gambian who relies on the daily intake of rice for survival and a challenge for government to provide "the necessary investment and programs". > > He then talks of the need for diversification when he wrote: > > "Of course, the potentials for agricultural production are not limited to rice production only. There are vegetable crops, fruit production and aquaculture". > > He also acknowledged the daunting task that the average farmer has to overcome when he wrote: > > "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. > > He then posits that: > > "Only through the surplus from the agricultural sectors, the small-medium business and industrial sectors can take off". > > [All emphsis mine] > > Do you not agree with the above statement? > > If you agree with the above statement and the ones before it, then I do not see why you ask the following questions: > "Who told him we have shortage of agricultural labour force in our country,the crude nature of agricproduction is not only a health hazard(back breaking,early old age) for the majority of our population but a contributing factor to the destruction of the eco-system in our country,just think of all the bush fires for more farm lands and etc.Think of the massive poverty caused by farming in the country and yet still we are demanding for more farmers.A better organization of farming is more of our need now and not more farmers". > > You again wrote: > > "His discussion of the eco-system seems confussing but should direct that too to the president,that having crocodiles pounds and other animals at Kaninlia are equally dangerous to the eco-system, because it is not their natural breeding place. > > Saiks, > > Dr. Edgar's reference to ecology and ecosystems was to give us an idea of from what perspective he was seeing agriproduction that is sustainable and can act as a catalyst for the development of small-medium businesses as well as nations. > > His reference to President Jammeh's call for our youths to return to the land is also quite appropriate here. This is so because when Jammeh tells us to return to the land he is not refering to those who are already there. He is refering basically to those without the skills or education to compete for the limited jobs in the GBA but who, nontheless, would rather be roaming about our streets and doing nothing gainful. > > Secondly, if we agree that the way agriculture has been practised in the country since time immemorial has not yielded much dividents, then I believe we ought to rethink our farming methods and strategies; and who better to do that than the educated and semi-educated. At least such people would be able to make our farmers better understand how certain farming practices may be more appropriate than others. They would also be in a better position to use fertilizers more appropriately as well as a more effective use of manure and compost. This line of thought is supported by Dr. Edgar, when he wrote: > > "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". > > This was possible because of research done by the Taiwanese Agricultural Team in the country and their Gambian counterparts. These people carried out research with over 800 species of rice and finally selected the best 6 varities that are better adapted to The Gambian lowland environment, and to the rain-fed conditions. The absolute majority of our farmers can be here for the next 300 years and they will never come this close if they are still left on their own to do things they've always done them! > > The fact that: > > "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", > > can also be attributed to educated people showing a selected population of farmers how they can better farm rice. > > You again wrote: > > "Off course there are external factors,but overshadow by the internal ones.Thinking here more the hypocritical standpoint of both the World Bank and other financial institutions on the question of agricultural subsidy,whiles denying third world government to do that,the richest nation in the world,USA,is still involved in subsidising agricultural farming and here is a country with over production of agricultural food.Well I can understand this gentlman of the eco-system,that he has a political programme to promote,but it is much more better for him to hold on to that than involved himself in our politics with so a heavy opinoin,without having much knowledge of our poverty problems Turn our youths to scientists and keep them off the land,pay the farmers their Moines so that they can be more productive". > > Finally Saiks, Dr. Edgar's reference to China's policy of not paying much attention to agriculture but instead focussing more on industrialisation is something that should worry the average poor nation, particularly those in sub-Saharan Africa. This is because we are not in a position to compete with China for world-market food products when the liveihood or security of their state depends on it. > > At the moment, there is zilch we can do about farm subsidies by either the EU or America except grumble and plead with them. There is also very little we can do about the worldbanks and IMFs of this world who, while prohibiting us from giving subsidies to our farmers completely stay mute about subsidies by the EU and the USA. For these reasons, we need to diversify agriproduction so as to at least be able to feed ourselves and have some surplus to market. I am sure both the EU and American scientists are busy researching how to cheaply produce those traditional third world produce. It is therefore our collective responsibility to advise each other as to how to do things differently and better. > > Have a good day, Gassa. > > There is a time in the life of every problem when it is big enough to see, yet small enough to solve. -Mike- Levitt- > > > >----------------------------------------------------------------------------- - > Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com. > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to: [log in to unmask] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > >~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > >To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface >at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html >To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to: >[log in to unmask] > >~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to: [log in to unmask] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~