Peace
Corps The Gambia recently conducted a daylong field visit, dubbed Farmer Field
Day, to Saikou Nyassi’s Farm in Genya, Foni Kansala in West Coast Region.
The
visit was part of Peace Corps (PC) Environment and Agriculture Programme which
aims to support Peace Corps Volunteers and their counterparts based in villages
to improve food security by working on production, processing and consumption
of agricultural products.
As
part of this process, PC plans to work with motivated Gambians to setup sites
(Master Farms), to demonstrate technologies for increasing and diversifying
production and holding trainings and conducting adaptive research.
The
goal of the Master Farmer is to demonstrate how farmers can use appropriate,
improved agricultural and agro-forestry technologies to better support their
families through increased access to grains and vegetables, increased income
through sales of cultivated produce.
It
is in this vein that PC is supporting Saikou Nyassi, a master farmer, in
designing and setting up his site, implementing technologies and providing
training.
PC
officials said Saikou’s farm would ultimately be a local source of seeds and
materials for agricultural, agro-forestry production and adaptive research.
Speaking
on the field visit, programme manager for Environment and Agriculture at Peace
Corps, Saikou B.M Njai, said the Master Farms project started in 2013 and it is
currently being implemented in four regions: West Coast Region, North Bank
Region, Central River Region and Lower Region.
It
is a US$17,000 project aimed at building the capacity of Gambian farmers to
attain food security through choosing youth who are very active and dedicated
to share knowledge with others.
The
project is being funded by the West African Food Security Programme (WAFSP) and
it is designed to increase food security through improved agricultural
practices, food processing nutrition, and education and innovation approaches
to food production.
Country
Director of Peace Corps Gambia Jennifer Goette said the Master Farmer project
is a joint effort between Peace Corps and the US Agency for International
Development to improve local communities’ food security.
The
Master Farmer programme began in The Gambia in 2013 to support the government’s
initiative to improve food security by targeting a variety of farmers of
different backgrounds and skills.
Through
the project, Peace Corps Volunteers would work hand in hand with motivated
Gambians to undertake gardening projects, improving field crops and rice
varieties, and engaging in agro-forestry work with a special emphasis on
gardening and tree nurseries.
Also
speaking at the field day, chairman of Brikama Area Council, Bakary Saikou
Sanneh, commended the Peace Corps for complementing the efforts of The Gambia
government through training farmers to enhance their production and
productivity.
The
regional agriculture director for West Coast, Kaddy Bojang-Saidy, also
commended the Peace Corps for their initiative.
