#Headlines

Farmer organisations receive over D6M worth of office items

Jul 31, 2024, 10:31 AM | Article By: Makutu Manneh

Farmer organisations on Monday 29 July 2024 received over 6 million dalasis worth of office equipment and supplies from the Resilience Of Organisations for Transformative Smallholder Agriculture (ROOTS) project.

The presentation, that was held at the ROOTS head office, Abuko, formed part of their objectives in ensuring sustainability and transforming the small farmer associations.

The recipient organisations were  National Coordinating Organisation of Farmer Associations Gambia (NACOFAG), Nerica Rice Farmers Association (NRFA) and National Vegetable Growers Association (NVGCA).

The equipment that were donated include laptops, multipurpose printers, dispensers, air condition and digital cameras among others.

Mamour Alieu Jagne, the project director, ROOTS, highlighted the purpose of the donation, saying that it is part of a process to strengthen the capacities of the farmer organisations by the end of the project.

Mr Jagne added that  in order to ensure sustenance for the farmers after the project, they would give the associations time to consolidate and implement their plans and also address immediate requirements both medium and long term.

He said that the project is working with farmers to develop strategic plans and how to upgrade their plans and align them with today’s realities.

Among their objectives, he stated, is to increase membership of the associations and developing strategies.

He urged farmers to make best use of the materials and use them for the intended purpose.

Musa Sowe, president of NACOFAG, applauded ROOTS for their support in transforming the  farmers' organisations.

He added that to support and ensure food security, farmers must be given the right support.

Peter Baldeh, president of NRFA, said enrolling small farmers is growing and modernising faster which was not happening before.

He expressed that Roots contributed a lot in building their capacities, while assuring that the equipment will be put to good use.

Mustapha Drammeh, deputy director at the Ministry of Agriculture, underscored the significance of strengthening, supporting and representing farmers to achieve food security.