The
Poultry for Prosperity project was yesterday launched at the Department of
Livestock Services in Abuko.
The
project is jointly funded by FASDEP under the Ministry of Agriculture and
SAADIS Group Limited and implemented by NEDI.
The
Food and Agriculture Sector Development Project (FASDEP) under its
matching-grant sub-component provided 60 per cent funding for the establishment
of 150 backyard poultry schemes for youths and women under the Poultry for
Prosperity project, while SAADI Group Limited contributed 40 per cent.
In
his launching statement, the deputy Minister of Agriculture, Sheriff Bojang,
expressed appreciation, saying they are witnessing another support activity
dedicated to the youths and women by FASDEP.
He
said FASDEP forms part of efforts towards the implementation of the GNAIP formulated
by the Ministry of Agriculture.
FASDEP
is intervening in activities in a way to scale up successes of the closed
Livestock and Horticulture Development Project (LHDP), which includes poultry
production, small ruminant breeding, horticulture, aquaculture, among others.
Hence,
the importance of the project to government could not be overemphasised, he
continued, adding that the government is committed to poverty reduction as
enunciated in the long-term development strategic plan of The Gambia Incorporated
Vision 2020.
The
Poultry for Prosperity project is in line with the clarion call by the
President for Gambians ‘to grow what we eat’ and ‘eat what we grow’ as
stipulated in Vision 2016.
He
said the Ministry of Agriculture with stakeholders visited a good number of the
Poultry for Prosperity schemes a couple of months ago, and were impressed.
He
thanked the Ministry of Youth and Sports through NEDI for their partnership in
“this noble venture by identifying and supporting women and youths.”
The
project director of FASDEP, Kebba Jarjue, gave an overview of FASDEP, saying
FASDEP is funded by GOTG and the Global Agriculture and Food Security
Programmed (GAFSP), which is a multilateral mechanism to assist in the
implementation of pledges made by the leaders of the G8, in Pittsburgh in 2009.
Its
purpose is to scale up support to help developing countries reduce poverty and
improve rural livelihoods and food security, by increasing agricultural
production and productivity, linking farmers to markets, reducing risk and
vulnerability.
It
is a five-year project being implemented in four agricultural regions of WCR,
LRR, CRR South and CRR North, targeting a total of about 240,000 beneficiaries
including 150,000 women, 60,000 youths and 30,000 men.
The
Poultry for Prosperity project was conceptualized by the SAADIS Group and NEDI
and a proposal submitted to FASDEP for funding.
Also
speaking was the chief executive officer of SAADIS, Basaadi Jabbie, who said
the projects aims to contribute to the government stated goal of reducing
poverty and unemployment.
It
was also to improve both rural and urban livelihoods, and food and nutrition
security by increasing the production and productivity of the poultry
sub-sector.
He
said the Poultry for Prosperity project, in particular, aimed to mobilise,
recruit, train and set up as many as 1000 youths and women into poultry farming
through the use of innovative cages, to mitigate the importation of chicken and
eggs into the country in the medium and long term.
