By: Dawda Baldeh
The price of rice in The Gambia has been steadily increasing for various reasons, as it is imported from other countries, despite it being a staple food.
Problems such as inadequate drainage systems, outdated farming equipment, insufficient fertilizer, and damage from wild animals make rice farming challenging for the few who are involved in it.
Located in South Gambia’s Central River Region, the Janjangbureh rice farm at this time of the season is busy with farmers harvesting their crops in the blazing sun.
Isatou Sarjo, a seasonal rice farmer in Janjangbureh, says rice farming is becoming increasingly difficult in the region due to various factors.
Isatou, who is determined to produce enough rice for her family despite her old age, pleads with the government to support farmers like her.
“The government should support us with modern farming equipment and fertilizer.
“Rice cultivation is rewarding but recently, we are unable to make bumper harvest due to rampant destruction from wild animals and lack of fertilizer,” she said.
Like many others in the province, Isatou relies on the rice she cultivates to feed her family and generate income.
Unfortunately, due to the existing challenges, she has been unable to earn anything recently.
She urges the government to support rice cultivation to decrease dependence on imported rice.
Madu Touray, another seasonal rice farmer, echoes similar concerns about the challenges facing rice production in Janjangbureh.
He also mentions several factors that adversely affect farmers in the area.
Despite farming being profitable in other countries, in The Gambia, it is primarily dominated by impoverished individuals who rely on it for survival.
“All the work we do is manpower and outdated methods. From planting to harvesting all is done manually. It is very difficult because doing farming requires a lot of modern techniques which we don’t have.
“Those are concerns to us. If we could have support for new farming equipment it would help us. Government should also support us because we are Gambians who are complementing the government’s efforts in addressing food shortages,” he explained.
While exploring the rice fields in the scorching heat, we encountered young rice farmers like Muhammed Saburu and Lamin Jobarteh.
Surprisingly, these passionate young farmers admit to not knowing the price of a bag of imported rice as they grow rice for consumption themselves.
“I don’t know how much a bag of imported rice costs because we cultivate rice simultaneously.
“If you have a bumper harvest, it will last longer. It can serve your family and you will not beg others for feeding,” Saburu said.
Lamin said: “Rice cultivation is rewarding. This is why we are doing it even though we don’t have the resources or necessary equipment.
“We don’t sit at home because this is where we earned our living.”
Muhammed and Lamin, along with other farmers, requested the government to provide them with the necessary farming equipment.
From our conversations with various farmers, it is evident that the significant challenges they face include inadequate irrigation systems, outdated farming equipment, scarcity of fertilizer, and damage caused by wild animals.
