A new weekly farmer’s trade fair has been opened in the community of Nyentempo in Foni Bondali, West Coast Region.
The development, locals say, is the first of its kind in the history of the village, which is aimed at boosting economic activities in the settlement.
In his speech at the opening of the trade fair last Saturday, the Alkalo of the village, Mamadou Penda Jallow, thanked Concern Universal for supporting the initiative.
He said organizing farmers trade fair will greatly help the various communities to come at a selling point where they can exchange their goods and services within the catchment areas.
He also thanked the community through the Village Development Committee (VDC) for their hard work, cooperation, and commitment to the project realisation.
The Alkalo added that the trade fair will help not only the community of his village but also those coming from other areas.
He therefore challenged the VDC to ensure the sustainability of the trade fair, “which will yield dividends” for future generations.
He also encouraged the women in the area to engage more in horticultural gardening “since there is a market to sell such products”.
For his part, the Ward Councillor for Foni Bondali, Hamadi Sowe, expressed satisfaction with the level of commitment the community of Nyentempo has demonstrated in the execution of the project.
For his part, the Chief of Foni Bondali, Alhagie Dembo Bakary Badjie, expressed similar sentiments as did previous speakers, while commending the community for their commitment and urging them to remain steadfast in nation-building.
In a separate development, the community of Nyentempo received a donation of a coos milling machine from the Gambia Emergency Agricultural Production Project (GEAPP) under the Ministry of Agriculture.
According to the area chief, the gesture will greatly reduce most of the daily burden on women.
He also advised the community of Nyentempo to ensure the sustainability of the machine.