Written by: Dawda Baldeh
A vibrant cashew farm and community farming centre in Sotuma Samba Koi, Jimara District, Upper River Region (URR), has been ravaged by a fire that destroyed over one thousand cashew trees and key infrastructure essential to the daily operations of the farm.
The farm belongs to Prince Bubacarr Aminata Sankanu, a public servant and native of the Sotuma Sere Catchment Area, who currently serves as Deputy Government Spokesperson of The Gambia. In addition to his agricultural efforts, Prince Sankanu is a film director and cultural advocate.
Sankanu used part of the farm to grow cashew and dedicated another section to a mixed farming centre, allowing neighbouring farmers to cultivate cash and subsistence crops such as groundnut and millet for their own use.
“I open my farm to women and other groups looking for space to plant cash crops in between the cashews, free of charge. Unfortunately, the fire disaster has caused a huge personal financial loss and is a painful setback to my hereditary agricultural project. I empathize greatly with the women and other beneficiaries who farm here because the fire has stifled their main income-generating activity,” Sankanu said, appealing for support to rehabilitate the farm, which he describes as a modest contributor to YIRIWAA through national agricultural transformation.
“For the sake of women farmers in the neighbouring communities who enjoy unrestricted access to the farm, I am appealing to well-wishers to support the regeneration of the place as the rain season is fast approaching,” he added.
Ebrima Janko, a young farmer from the nearby village of Sotuma Sere, also helps supervise workers at the Sotuma Samba Koi site.
Janko said the fire broke out after working hours, which delayed the response and worsened the damage.
“The source of the latest fire outbreak is mind-boggling, and we leave it in the hands of Allah who knows best,” he reflected.
Given the significant financial loss suffered by Mr. Sankanu, the farm will require substantial support to return to its former state and resume year-round farming activities.
The following infrastructure has been completely destroyed or damaged and now needs rehabilitation: a borehole with a modern irrigation system, a storage room, renovation of the caretakers’ room, reinforcement of the perimeter fence, cashew seedlings, tractors, tricycles, a light delivery truck, and various other farming tools. These are essential to rebuilding the farm and improving its resilience against the impacts of climate change.
