The
Gambia Investment and Export Promotion Agency (GIEPA), with the support of The
Gambia Commercialization and Agriculture Value Chains project (GCAV) and NEMA,
yesterday held an international agriculture investment forum to promote
agriculture locally and internationally, at the Senegambia Beach Hotel in
Senegambia yesterday.
The
two-day intensive forum is geared towards promoting agriculture and remedying
the challenges that farmers encounter and also to create market-oriented
agricultural production within the farming community.
Speaking
at the opening ceremony, Minister of Agriculture, Hon. Omar J Jallow, said
innovative investment is crucial for agricultural transformation, wealth creation
and long-term prosperity in Africa.
He
said The Gambia’s agricultural sector is operating in a new paradigm for some
years now leading to the sustainable growth and long term profitability
required for development.
“In
the new Gambia, we are indeed challenged to raise the bar and deliver the much
needed growth that will be a catalyst to transforming the livelihoods of all of
us, but particularly poor rural folks,” he opined.
Hon.
OJ Jallow further remarked that in order to sustain the recent economic
performance in the country, a number of key innovative actions are needed,
including the encouragement of a private-sector-led agricultural export
initiative as well as diversification and the promotion of market-oriented
agricultural production.
He
stated that it is imperative that the forum provides a framework to address and
approach the challenges in agricultural investment in a rational way.
He
affirmed the government’s commitment to encourage partnership in the new
Gambia, adding that they are a result-oriented government and that the forum is
a clear manifestation of their unified objective to increase the opportunities
that will transform agriculture into a viable commercial venture.
For
her part, Minister of Trade, Dr Isatou Touray, said agriculture is a core
sector of The Gambia’s economy. Its contribution to GDP stands at 32% and the
sector engages over 70% of the active workforce. She said that this justifies
the importance the Government of The Gambia attaches to the agriculture sector.
She
said the government’s strategic objective is to transform the national economy
from a net-importing economy to a net-exporter whilst ensuring food
self-sufficiency and affordable food prices.
She
emphasised that this far-reaching objective cannot be achieved in the absence
of the much-required investments in technology, trade and quality
infrastructure, post-harvest management, partnership building, and access to
markets for integration into the global value chain.
“This
forms the cornerstone of this international agriculture investment forum and I
urge you to maximize the benefits it presents within an enabling policy and
business environment that The Gambia will continue to ensure,” she said.
Dr
Touray went on to state, “I expect rich deliberations over the two-day forum
that will not only provide opportunities but highlight challenges and
constraints in the policy and business environment.”
She
disclosed that her ministry will continue to facilitate and support
partnerships for synergy and the pursuit of enhanced trade development, stating
that they shall work hand in glove with all sectors of the economy to address
trade-related challenges and spur wider investment and growth in our national
economy.
She
urged the participants to adopt an all-inclusive approach to addressing the
national priorities, “let us build partnerships across all levels in and
between government, regional administrations, the private sector, civil
society, communities, academia and industry.”
“I
expect this to be extended to a dialogue on access to land for agricultural
investment as it is crucial for harnessing our efforts, resources and
competences into a common pool,” she concluded.
