A
new board of directors was inaugurated for the Gambia Livestock Marketing
Agency (GLMA) last Wednesday. The ceremony was held at the Ministry of
Agriculture conference room in Banjul. It could be recalled that GLMA was
established by an Act of Parliament in 2008, but the agency started its
operations in 2010.
In
her inaugural speech, the Minister for Agriculture, Honourable Amie Fabureh
said the mandate of the Agency was to promote the commercialisation and
marketing of livestock in the country. The agency is also to facilitate the
participation of Gambians in the marketing of livestock.
“Until
the establishment of The Gambia Livestock Marketing Agency (GLMA), the
livestock trade was dominated by non-Gambian bogus dealers and butchers who
operated at the expense of the producers,” Minister Fabureh said. The Hon.
Minister pointed out that the livestock markets were not organised and in some
cases not accessible to producers. She said producers were denied the
opportunities of realising the true value of their animals because they were
compelled to rely on the farm gate as the only channel to sell.
“The
marketing of livestock was not conducted under any regulatory framework that
would enable the different actors in the livestock value chain to duly harness
the huge economic potential of the trade,” the minister said. She called on
board members to familiarise themselves with the core activities of the agency.
Minister Fabureh highlighted the achievements registered by the Agency which
she said is in line with the National Development Plan.
According
to the minister, the number of local farmers involved in marketing of their own
animals has increased gradually replacing the non-nationals who dominated the
market prior to the creation of the agency. The Minister tasked the new board
to strive to ensure that the agency becomes a standard livestock marketing body
within the sub-region. She expressed her ministry’s readiness to support the
board in fulfilling its oversight mandates.
The
chairman of the newly inaugurated board, Dr. Sainey Duto Fofana emphasised the
significant role of the livestock sub-sector. He said the sector contributes
about 10% of the National Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and 40% of the overall
agricultural contribution to the GDC. Dr. Fofana noted that the National Development
Plan (NDP, 2017) emphasises livestock as an important drive for achieving the
targeted 4% growth in the agricultural sector by 2020.
“I
am prepared to take up this challenging task just like I have done with other
challenges during my active career as a civil servant and livestock expert,”
Dr. Fofana dared. He added that with the support of the board members coupled
with the technical support from the director general, the board would not lose
sight of its priority of improving the short and long term performances of the
Agency. The newly appointed chairman promised to continue collaborating with
all stakeholders both locally and internationally.
The
newly inaugurated board comprises 10 members, Dr. Sainey Duto Fafana as
chairman and Ebrima Cham as secretary general. The occasion was chaired by the
permanent secretary at the Ministry of Agriculture Momodou Mbaye Jabang.
