Abdoulai G. Dibba
The Minister of Agriculture Amie Fabureh on Friday February 7,2020 concluded a three-day tour of Central River Region North in which she handed over farm implements to 16 villages in CRR North.
The beneficiary villages are Njau, Kaur Janneh Kunda, Jahaur Mandinka, Namwel, Simbara, Jimbara, Bakadaji Jilan, Chamen Nianija, Wassu, Kuntuar Jakaba, Kuntuar, Kuntuar Fula, Sukuta, Demfaye, Sami Karantaba and Sami Pochonki.
Speaking at various villages during the handing over, minister Fabureh said she was out to hand over the equipment to these selected villages on behalf of President Barrow.
She noted that the equipment she is handing over was as a result of a request made by the farmers during the last presidential tour.
“The president in consultation with the minister of Agriculture responded positively to this request in less than two months” she stated.
The distributed equipment include power tillers, multipurpose thresher, Tarpaulin, coarse grain machine, pumping machine and Rice milling machine, which were obtained through the Japanse project called kenned round 2 (KR2 project).
Addressing the beneficiary villagers in Njau, Chamen Nianija and others, the Regional Governor Abba Sanyang while commending the president for addressing the plight of the farmers, went on to say that the equipment will go a long way in supporting the farmers to boost their agricultural production and productivity.
“Now that the president has provided this equipment to help you greatly in easing your drudgeries, it is your responsibility to make savings for their sustainability” Governor Sanyang stated.
The coordinator of the Central Project Coordination Unit Abdoulie Touray called on beneficiary villages to be more committed in maintaining the equipment for their durability.
He said Government has ensured that these equipment is at their doorstep, and it is therefore, their responsibility to ensure its sustainability.
The Director General of the Department of Agriculture, Dr Saikou Sanyang told the beneficiaries that the equipment is here to support them in reducing their drudgeries as well as help them boost their production and productivity, thereby enhancing their income.
He called on them to establish a management committee that will manage the income generated so that the maintenance of the equipment will not be a burden on them to ensure sustainability.
In addressing the beneficiaries in Kuntuar Jakaba, the Deputy Permanent Secretary Musa Houma indicated that the equipment should be handled with care and not treated as skeletons to be dumped in a grave. DPS Houma said they saw dysfunctional power tillers in the village and if they do not properly maintain these new ones they will end like those ones.
The Minister was accompanied by the Deputy Secretary Musa Houma, the Central Project Coordination Unit Coordinator Abdoulie Touray, the Director General of the Department of Agriculture Dr Saikou Sanyang and Mustaha Minteh of the Agriculture Engineering Services.
They were received by the Regional Governor Abba Sanyang upon their arrival in the regional Agriculture Directorate of CRR North.
