World Bank approve 5.3M euro for Gambia govt

The World Bank has approved a whooping 5.3 million Euro for the government of The Gambia for the implementation of the second phase of the African Emergency Locust Project, called the African Emergency Agricultural Production Project, Sheikh Tijan Sosseh, Co-ordinator of the AELP revealed.

This, Sosseh told our reporter in an interview, comes as the first phase of the African Emergency Locust Project is set to face out by June 2010. He stated that the approval follows the successful implementation of the first project, which was also funded by the World Bank.

Mr. Sosseh noted that the objective of the project is to strengthen the capacity of about 20 thousand vulnerable farmers in the country. The project, he added, has three components, which include the provision of agricultural inputs, such as fertilisers, power tillers threshers: strengthening seeds multiplication and also improving village storage facilities.

According to Sosseh, under the sub-component there would be a rehabilitation of 35 village seed stores and components. He noted that both parties had agreed and signed the project, which is to be implemented in line with the grant agreement between The Gambia government and the World Bank.

This project, he noted, has to be implemented within two years and is supposed to start by March 2010.

"The project is targeting ten districts and will cover 20 thousand farmers who will be provided with inputs, seed multiplication fertilisers and storage facilities," Mr Sosseh stated. He expressed AELP?s commitment to tackle any locust invasion within and outside the country.

"The AELP has registered  mighty success by constructing pesticide storage sites both at national and regional levels," he said, while commending the government for providing two air crafts for self-defence in case of any locust invasion.