By Landing Colley
The National Assembly Members have raised eyebrows on the Ministry of Agriculture’s $50 million project agreement with French government as they fired the Ministry with numerous questions as regarding the agreement.
The $50 million project agreement signed by the Ministry of Agriculture and French government seeks to improve rice production in Upper River Region (URR).
Responding to the lawmakers’ questions, Honorable Amie Fabureh, Minister of Agriculture said “the fifty million dollar project is a pledge and based on the pledge we were able to get $7 million. At begin they recommended $10 million out of the $50 million, but at this moment they gave us $7 million to start with.”
“The $10 million was an agreement between the French government and the Ministry of Agriculture but few months ago they wrote to the Ministry that they can offer $7 million perhaps due to pandemic. The $50 million is a pledge which is not coming to us directly as we are working with the Ministry of Finance,” she explained.
Honorable Fabureh went on that the project supposed to be launched since March 23rd but due to covid-19 it could not be launched, while they are doing their best to make sure that the implementation is launch in June (this month).
On distribution of farming equipment at Mankama kunda
Answering question on distribution of farming equipment, the Honorable Minister sadi the equipment is for mix farming at Mankama Kunda and its surrounding villages. She added that as “at the time of the handing over of the materials (to Alkalo) the mix farming centre was not ready.” She said if it is ready all those materials handed over to the Alkalo will be fixed at the mix farming centre to enable the people of Mankama Kunda and surrounding villages to benefit from it.
According to her, giving the equipment to the Alkalo as the village head does not mean they own the equipment.
“This machine I mentioned (it is) almost 104 communities that will benefit from it and in my tenure in the office I want to ensure that every village producing rice and millet have a machine,” she said.
