By Lamin Fatty
Farmers in URR and CRR of The Gambia have started partaking in the cropping season as the first significant seasonal rain hits most parts of the country on Wednesday, 19 June 2024.
During a visit to some farmers in the Jimara and Sandu Districts of URR and Fulladou and Sami Districts of CRR, farmers told Foroyaa they have commenced sowing their crops, especially crops like sorghums and millets.
Saibo Sidibeh from Jimara Bagadagy said Wednesday morning rainfall prompted them to start sowing (panting).
“As I speak to you right now, most farmers here started sowing millets and sorghums, and someone just told me he has even sown the early variety of groundnuts called “burfuto” (early maturity ground nuts),” he said.
Also, Sulayman Krubally from Sami Madina CRR North told Foroyaa that even though the Wednesday rainfall was not very significant, they have started sowing crops like millets and sorghums.
However, the situation at the other parts of URR like Tumanna, Kantora, Wulli East and West, is different as farmers within these areas are yet to commence sowing their crops due to lack of significant rainfall to commence the 2024 farming season.
Farmers from Koina in Kantora and Bantunding in Wulli East told this reporter that they are fully prepared for the rains as they have started sowing their crops but still, they have not yet received significant rainfall to start.
The metrological department under the department of water resources and the department of agriculture advises farmers to start planting anytime they receive significant rainfall. According to them, any rainfall now is seasonal rain.
Inhabitants of the Upper River Region (URR) and Central River Region (CRR) first received significant rainfall on Monday 27th May 2024, however, the authorities from the metrological department and the regional agricultural directorate described that rainfall as unseasonal rainfall and warned farmers against planting crops in that period.
