Jammeh receives GFFI officials

Officials of the Gambia Food and Feeds Industries (GFFI), the first-ever company in the country that specialises in human and animals food production, Monday evening met with President Yahya Jammeh at State House in Banjul.

The officials were at State House to present three samples of the feeds for fish, livestock – cattle, and poultry to President Jammeh, after the successful completion of the feeds plant.

Expected to be commissioned before the 18th anniversary of the July 22nd Revolution, the rice processing component of the factory along the Banjul-Serrekunda highway is an investment of the Qatari-based company, Conapro, in collaboration with the Gambia government.

Speaking at the ceremony, President Yahya Jammeh expressed joy over the project, and noted that what Gambia needs is to eradicate poverty.

Jammeh stated that for The Gambia to have viable livestock farmers and industrial skills, there is need for a supplementary feeding process.

“You should not limit your production to the Gambian market alone, but look beyond The Gambia, because if you think that what you have is enough, you have to double the capacity, because once you produced quality you should look at the Gambia as a small market,” he told officials of the company.

Noting that some ECOWAS member-states have bigger poultry markets, the Gambian leader urged the Conapro officials not to look within the context of the industry being put up in The Gambia.

“You have to put it in an ECOWAS regional context and also the entire African continent, including other countries that have trade agreements with The Gambia,” he told the officials.

While commending them for establishing the project in The Gambia, Jammeh noted that the officials of Conapro have proven critics wrong, most of whom had doubts about the success of the project.

He further told officials of the company that the government can only create the enabling environment, but the rest lies in the hands of the citizens to grasp the opportunities.

Saoud Ghandour, president of Conapro, who was accompanied to State House by his brother Rachad Ghandour, said the project, which was signed in May 2010, has been partly completed and the plant is ready for production.

According to him, they were at State House to get President Jammeh’s instructions on how to move forward.
“We are here to present to you Mr. President three types of feed that we produce at the GFFI - poultry, fish and livestock feed meals, and the rice mill is at the finishing stage,” Ghandour said, adding that the entire plant will be fully completed by July this year.

Ansumana Jammeh, Gambia’s ambassador to Qatar, recalled that during President Jammeh’s visit to Qatar, all that they wanted to present to him was a rice processing plant, but noted that the idea of the feed mill was suggested by the President.

He commended the Ghandour brothers for fulfilling their promises.

He also thanked President Jammeh for creating the enabling environment, peace and stability in the country, something which he said has made the work of all Gambians including its diplomats easy.

Other speakers at the ceremony included Dr Njogu Bah, Secretary General and Head of the Civil Service, Dr Momodou Tangara, minister of Foreign Affairs, International Relations and Gambians Abroad and Mambury Njie, minister of Finance and Economic Affairs.