State House, Banjul, 8th June 2021: His Excellency President Adama Barrow on Monday, June 7th presided over the commissioning of 50 tractors and Accessories under the KR2 Japanese Rice Aid project that is meant to support underprivileged farmers in The Gambia.
Speaking at the ceremony held at the New Yundum Football field, President Barrow thanked the Japanese Government through Ambassador Arai Tatsuo for complimenting The Gambia’s agricultural transformation agenda. The President expressed that the tractors and equipment could not have come at a better time, as the agricultural sector undergoes transformation effort to modernize and mechanize crop and livestock production as captured in the National Development Plan (2018-2021) and the Gambia National Agriculture Investment Plan for Food and Nutrition Security.
To strengthen Public-Private cooperation, President Barrow announced the development of a model in which a competent private individual will manage twenty tractors. He added that the availability of the tractors would ensure the employment and training of youths on Agricultural production.
In a video recorded statement, His Excellency Ambassador Arai Tatsuo, who is resident in Senegal, reaffirmed his government’s commitment to supporting The Gambia’s efforts in modernizing the agricultural sector to ensure food security, noting that both countries will continue to partner for sustainable development and benefit of The Gambia and its people.
The Minister for Agriculture, Honorable Amie Fabureh, thanked His Excellency the President for entrusting her with such a critical sector that plays a significant role in the economic development of the country. She expressed that her ministry will ensure that the project is fully implemented and benefit those that it was designed for.
KR2 is a rural development plan designed by the Japanese government and focuses on commercializing agriculture to successfully increase the production and productivity of underprivileged farmers in developing countries.
