Abdoulai G. Dibba
Farmers in rural Gambia, in particular the North Bank and Central River Regions, have expressed their concerns in experiencing irregular rainfall in this year’s cropping season.
Farmers who spoke to this medium lamented that they are worried about the way this year’s rains are coming, at the peak of the cropping season, when some among them, are yet to sow their groundnuts.
Farmers stated that even though the rain started early in the Upper River Region, on the 6th of June 2018, those farmers in the North Bank and part of Central River Region’s North and South banks, lament that they are yet to complete sowing groundnuts, due to inadequate rainfall.
Modou Ceesay of Upper Saloum in the Central River Region North, informed this medium on Friday 27th July, that since the commencement of the cropping season, they have not received satisfactory rainfall needed to sow their groundnuts; that if the trend of the rainfall continues, there is likely to be a dry spell.
Another farmer, Baboucarr Jobe of Njoben village in the Lower Fulladou West District of the Central River Region South, asserted that this year’s rainy season is not yet promising; that since the beginning of the first downpours, there has not been any heavy rainfall in their area.
According to Jobe, even though they have completed sowing millet and groundnuts, these crops are not performing well, due to lack of sufficient rainfall; that for the past fifteen days, there was no rain in their area and this has impacted negatively on the crops.
All the farmers who spoke to this reporter, raised similar concerns and call on the Government to be alert and monitor the cropping season which is of great concern to all farmers.
