By Kebba AF Touray
Information received by Foroyaa on Friday, 20 September 2024 indicate that tidal flooding caused by recent heavy downpours, have destroyed rice fields in the Wuli East village of Sutukoba in Upper River Region of the Gambia.
This seasonal phenomenon has been one of the major challenges that confronts rice producers in the village, because the flooding occurs when producers gear up to harvest their rice produce.
Once flooded, most of the matured rice ready for cultivation is destroyed, reducing the bumper harvest expectation of the rice farmers which in turn negatively impacts on their food-self-sufficiency dreams.
Reporting on the incident on Friday, Nja Fofana, a rice farmer in Sutukoba village, told Foroyaa that the flooded river has seriously affected their produce.
“We use this rice to sustain our families. I was trained on rice production and I have learned a lot from the training which was significant, because we were trained on the importance associated with rice production,” she said.
One such benefit and importance of rice production and cultivation, she said, is to drive away hunger. She said once they entered the lean period when their cereal stocks are exhausted, they use rice in order to be able to feed their families with ease.
“It also enhances our health and it helps us to mitigate diseases especially in infants. Vast areas of our rice fields have been flooded, and this has really affected our production aspirations. By estimates, I should be able to realise 70 bags of rice from my rice field, if it were not for this incident,” Fofana lamented.
She continued that her entire household is actively engaged in rice cultivation and production, but said the flooding incident has thwarted their objectives of venturing into rice production and cultivation.
“We solicit support from the government, companies, entities and individuals to avert this yearly occurrence which continues to affect our production aspirations,” she pleaded.
Yero (Fulo) Danso, another affected rice producer, said he and his fellow producers have been equally affected by the tidal floods.
“The whole field was cultivated with the aid of a tractor which tilled our rice fields. Prior to the floods, my greenish rice field reflected the sign of a bumper harvest which has now been thwarted by tidal floods,” Mr. Danso said.
He estimated that if all had gone well, he could also have realized a bumper harvest.
“My prediction was that if all had gone as planned, we could have registered a bumper harvest of 80 bags of rice, because the length of my rice field is 182 meters, with a width of 41 meters. After a field estimation, we were told that we might register a harvest of at least 80 to 90 bags,” he said.
He, however, said that with the tidal floods, the projected harvest will most definitely be reduced.
Faraba Jabbi, another affected rice producer said the incident has affected a total of 32 rice producers who could have each generated a harvest of between 60 and 65 bags of rice, if it were not for this incident.
He said all the affected producers are calling on the government, companies, entities and individuals, to come to aid by rendering them with the necessary support. One of such support according to the affected rice farmers is the construction of a proper and lasting dike that can protect their rice fields from such tidal floods.
