By: Dawda Baldeh
A severe torrential downpour on Friday struck rice fields in Jahaly Parcharr in the Central River Region, submerging and ruining rice that was at the harvesting stage.
This destruction affected numerous farmers in Jahaly Parcharr; however, Mauro was reported as the most severely impacted, leaving him with grave losses, according to eyewitnesses.
In an interview with The Fatu Network, Gibbi Mballow, the National Assembly Member for Lower Fulladu West, described the situation as catastrophic.
Mauro Farms is managed by a private individual who is modernizing rice cultivation in the country’s primary rice-producing area, Jahaly Parcharr.
“The destruction to all the farmers is huge, but Mauro is more severely affected because his rice farms were already ripe, only waiting for harvest. Unfortunately, the flood has submerged all those ripe rice fields, and he has invested heavily in the land development in that area,” Mballow narrated.
The Lower Fulladu West lawmaker called on the National Disaster Management Agency and the Ministry of Agriculture to visit the farms and take the necessary measures to prevent farmers from experiencing such incidents again.
Expressing admiration for Mauro Farms’ vision, Mballow noted that the destruction represents a significant setback for a country already facing high living costs.
“Mauro Farms aims to lessen the reliance on rice imports in the nation. If this rice had been harvested, it would have lowered rice prices in the country, particularly in rural areas,” added Mballow.
Mballow, who witnessed the devastation, expressed his sympathy to Mauro Farms and all other affected farmers for the losses they suffered due to the torrential rain. According to him, the volume of submerged rice is substantial. He advocates for more robust measures to avert such catastrophic damage in the future.
Video footage acquired by this medium displayed the extensive destruction caused by the torrential rain, making it seem as though nothing had ever been cultivated in the region.
