By Aja Musu Bah-Daffeh on tour
President Adama Barrow on Tuesday 28th March, 2017 visited the Jahali Pacharr rice fields in Central River 
Region, CRR. While on the tour, the President was accompanied to the field by his Cabinet Ministers, Coalition Executive together with his respective delegates.
Speaking to the press, President Barrow noted that it is important for the rice fields to be managed because there are lots of people involved in the work, adding that it creates employment and it is a source of livelihood. He asserted that they haven’t gained anything from the harvested rice but will work to maintain the field in good shape.
Continuing, he said that they had meetings with the Chinese Technical team in China as they were here in 1970’s to introduce the new Mechanized method of farming in order to make the work of those responsible in the farm easier and effective and that can go a long way in terms of food security.
The Farm Coordinator, Major Seedy Baldeh expressed delight for the President’s visit to the farm, which he said will give them courage in producing more rice. He stated that the operation is going well because they did transplanting, Nursery, rice paddling while the harvested rice is being pounded for bagging upon which it will be supplied to the market. He noted that the price will be less than the average in the market. Mr. Baldeh called on the government to provide them with equipment such as tractors, machinery to improve and boost the effect of their farming, stressing that they want to do mechanized farming.
“With the right mechanization on the farm, the impact will be greater and the rice cultivated from the farm can be able to feed the nation and equally export it to other countries” said the farm coordinator. He also said that they use the ‘’Nerika 31,37’’ for cultivation and 4,500 women work at the farm.
