FSCA EMPOWERS FARMERS TO BECOME FOOD SECURE

The Italian-funded project for Food Security through the Commercialisation of Agriculture (FSCA) has continued its giant stride of empowering farmers to become food self-sufficient and non-dependent on alien produce. In a recent handing-over ceremony of equipment worth over two million Gambian dalasi (D2m) held at FAO’s head office in Fajara, the project national coordinator, Amie Jallow-Jatta, who chaired the gathering, renewed her project’s commitment to put out all the stops in order to contribute meaningfully to the creation of a food-secured nation. The project is being implemented in two regions – North Bank Region and Central River Region – and focuses on food security and commercialisation of agriculture to last for three years.

The farm and household equipment donated to farmers by the FSCA include two rice threshers, two rice milling machines, four medium-size generator, a coos and maize dehuller, a coos milling machine, an early millet motorised thresher, a hammer mill for maize, two cashew nut shellers (decorticator), among many others, including utensils required for processing centres. The FSCA has three components: strengthening of service provider and farmer-based organisations; supporting value addition and marketing; as well as projecting coordination, she added. The Italian-funded project has succeeded in establishing processing centres in Njawara (a Wonjo processing centre), Nyangen (a Pepper processing centre), Sami Madina (a Findo processing centre), and Mbullum (a Cashew processing centre). The items donated are meant to equip these centres for training and demonstration. According to Mrs Jallow-Jatta: “The objective of the project is to increase on a sustainable basis agricultural productivity, marketed output and incomes of project beneficiaries. Farm-Based Organisations (FBOs) and small-scale agro-processors, resulting in improved livelihoods and food security.”

The project has provided series of trainings and capacity building on group management and leadership training; entrepreneurship development and business management training; processing and quality management aspects of product development among others. In his welcome remarks, Dr Babagano Ahmadu, FAO country rep, outlined the objectives of the project, among which is “rural poverty and household food insecurity reduced on a sustainable basis”. He added that it will assist smallholder farmers and small-scale food processors to overcome production constraints and to add value through improved production, processing and marketing techniques. Hon. Solomon Owens, Minister of Agriculture, added some phrases of happiness to the donation, calling it a step in the right direction. He noted that the FSCA has weathered so many storms in the agricultural sector, citing how empowered farmers are becoming, thanks to the intervention of the project. He urged recipients of more than two-million worth of equipment to make good use of the items, while calling on the project coordinator and her team to ensure the sustainability of the invaluable items.