Codex Committee holds training on good hygiene practices

The Director General of the Department of Agriculture, Dr. Sait Drammeh last Thursday presided over the opening of a two-day training for safer food dissemination on good hygiene practices in poultry and livestock enterprises.

Organised by National Codex/Sanitary and Phyto-sanitary Committee, the training, which was held at the National Nutrition Agency office along Bertil Harding Highway, was funded by the European Union.

It was among others, aimed at enlightening stakeholders on the progress of the project and the status of implementing good hygiene practices in selected enterprises.

In his opening remarks, Dr. Sait Drammeh stated that animal production in The Gambia in most instances is done on a small-scale basis. Noting that some efforts are being made to intensify production in the poultry and livestock sub-sector, he said, producers are challenged by the lack of reliable supply of quality fed chickens, breeding stocks, veterinary drugs and other inputs.

He said The Gambia like many other countries is particularly vulnerable to increased pests and diseases, including food-borne illnesses, due partly to high levels of imported food, and extensive movement of people, goods and animals. The Gambia government, he added, is very aware of the importance of food safety.

For his part, the Chairman of the National Codex Committee, Dr. Omar Touray, commended the European Union for funding the project.