By Kebba Ansu Manneh
Scores of farmers and local authorities in the Central River Region (CRR) have made clarion calls to President Adama Barrow and his National People’s Party (NPP) to invest more resources towards revamping the Jahally Pacharr Ricefields. They said the multi-million dalasi government ricefields project meant to feed the nation is virtually neglected and on the verge of total collapse.
They made these observations ahead of the visit of President Adama Barrow and his high-powered delegation currently on a nationwide ‘Meet the People’s Tour’. The delegation is around the Upper River Region (URR) and is expected to storm CRR South today.
Abdou M. Fanneh a native of Wellingara village, Lower Fulladu District doubling as a local rice farmer has disclosed that rice farming has been the main source of his family for the past four decades at Jahally Pacharr ricefields. He observed that the rice food self-sufficiency project launched in the mid-1950s has been going from grace to grass without adequate government support or investment to achieve its goals for the country.
The avid rice farmer revealed that the lack of investment by the government has seriously impeded the productivity of the Jahally Pacharr Ricefields. He recalled that during the first Republic of Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara, Government was solely responsible for the servicing of the rice fields thus providing farm equipment, fertilizers backed by an irrigation system that assures availability of water in all fields which is no more the case.
Fanneh continued that the situation of both Jahally Pacharr and its rice farmers is in precarious conditions that need serious reflection from the government of President Adama Barrow. He revealed that most of the Channels at the ricefields in Jahally Pacharr are not functioning adequately, lack of affordable fertilisers for its multiple rice farmers, farmer groups lack equipment and farm machinery as well as the poor design and installation of the tidal irrigation system of the project.
“The situation of Jahally Pacharr is very dire making farming very difficult to venture into in our region. Before the government was entirely responsible for the servicing of the fields but not now, everything is in the hands of the farmers who are left unempowered by the government to improve the situation and the productivity of the ricefields,” Fanneh revealed. He added: “Presently our major problem is the dysfunctional tidal irrigation system that cannot supply our ricefields with adequate water.
Musa Sawaneh, Councilor of Jareng Ward at Janjanbureh Area Council argued that if the government is serious about rice self-sufficiency in the country it must be seen in investing and revamping Jahally Pacharr Ricefields. He stressed that the project has declined in productivity to more than 50 percent of its capability indicating the failure of such a national project.
He urged President Adama Barrow and his government to reduce the talking in CRR and empower the farmers of the region by revamping Jahally Pacharr and other rice growing areas in CRR North and South, He added that more investment is needed in Jahally Pacharr, rehabilitation of feeder roads to ricefields in some parts of CRR are needed, the government should reduce the cost of fertilizer and engage in mechanize farming back by pump irrigation systems.
He added: “Before most families in CRR hardly buys imported rice from the shops, most of them farm enough for their family survival but now that is no more the case because government abandon the sector completely and no more offer adequate support to them.”
Saikou Dahaba, a native of Bani, Sami District observed that government is only able to dribble local farmers through nice and lovely statements. And also, added that so far since the coming of the Barrow government no meaningful development has been registered in agriculture meant to uplift the standard of the local farmers.
He observed that throughout the President’s tour he is yet to talk about how his government will improve rice farming in the region as well as youth participation in the sector.
Dahaba called CRR farmers to come forth before the President and voice out their concerns and frustration that they are currently grappling with.
He explained that farmers are finding it extremely difficult to buy a bag of rice at D1, 850, and a bag of fertiliser for D2, 500 coupled with the high cost of living, medical and school bills.
