NACOFAG coordinator unveils plans for 2018

The National coordinator for Network of Farmer Organization in The Gambia (NACOFAG), Alieu Sowe, has disclosed various strategic plans that NACOFAG would be implementing in 2018.

He said that 2017 was a successful year for farmers’ organization in The Gambia as they were able to make tremendous achievements during the year ended with the support of development partners such as ROPPA, Forest and Farm Facility under the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

In briefing the media, Mr. Sowe said NACOFAG was established to facilitate the coordination, mobilisation of resources, training and building capacity as well as mobilizing the community base as farmer apex organization into a single body for national and international purposes.

He said the development of the association during the past has mainly centered on mobilising and organising farmers into viable and productivity farmer based organization.

He disclosed that currently NACFOG constitutes of 16 farmer forest based organizations at apex level in The Gambia, ranging from agriculture, livestock, horticulture, fisheries, forestry and environment.

According to him, in 2017 NACOFAG was able to constitute more than three hundred family farmers as a result of a project that they received from ROPPA through IFAD.

He cited that now farmers are into family farm and grouping that would help the network to have entry point through its apex members to the grassroot farmers.

He noted that the idea of family farm has been with them in the past but mobilisation was a big gap and was a regional concern in West Africa as seven countries are involved in this project trying to promote the ideal of family farm as way forward in increasing household food security, nutrition and income generation.

He said the third achievement was a project that they received from FAO, which was the FFF that has supported farmers in improving their livelihoods, adding that it also helped  NACOFAG to train its members.