Rice is the world's most essential food crop and is primarily consumed by more than half of the world. More than 90% of the world's rice is grown in Asia.
Speaking on the occasion marking May Day at McCarthy Square in Banjul, Mr Cham stated: “The adverse impacts of the Russian-Ukraine war, as well as the lingering effects of covid-19, affect the incomes of families due to food price increases, in particular The Gambia, which imports half of its food requirements including rice and petrol.”
He advised the government and the nation to think out of the box in order to change and approach things differently, with a view to achieving increased revenue to sustain growth and economic independence.
“Gambia spends 80 million dollars (D4 billion) on rice importation, while agriculture, as the main backbone of the country, serves as the domestic resource mobilisation to provide food self-sufficiency and boost GDP, industrialisation, employment opportunities, and infrastructural development.”
Mr Cham also disclosed that the level of poverty has grown between 2019 and 2023 as well as the rate of inflation.
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