Pineapple production

The local production of pineapple in the country is a very important development.

The fruit which is used in the country is mainly imported from Senegal, Guinea Conakry and Cote d’Ivoire.

We, therefore, commend this latest intervention of the Taiwan Technical Mission (TTM) and National Research Institute (NARI), and welcome their efforts in changing the status quo.

We do hope that through the Gambia Fruit Test Planting Project, the experiment would evolve into a large-scale production of pineapple in The Gambia, and reduce the dependence on the imported variety.

As has always been highlighted in this and other columns of this paper, sustainable agricultural production is key to national development.

There is an absolute need to improve agricultural farming systems in The Gambia; thus the need for diversification.

Encouraging more women in horticulture is one way that could help in our national efforts to feed ourselves as a country.

The high dependence on imported foodstuff should be a cause for concern for all in the country, and our people need to put in more strategies to reduce the dependence.

The quality of our locally-grown fruits and crops is said to be excellent compared to many crops in the sub-region; thus the need to invest more in agriculture.

We, therefore, salute the efforts of TTM and NARI in coming up with the pineapple production initiative, and encourage them to extend their joint venture to all regions of the country.