By: Haruna Kuyateh
Njawara Agricultural Training Centre, in partnership with ActionAid International in The Gambia under the EU-funded project “Strengthening Civil Society Organization (CSO) Support and Advocacy for Sustainable Production and Use of Organic Fertilizer in The Gambia (SAPOF),” on Saturday, organised a farmer-to-farmer study tour and exchange visit for 20 farmers from NBR, CRRN, and CRR South.
The tour took participants to the Gambia Songhai Initiative (GSI) in Chamen and the farm of master farmer Momodou Loum in Toroba, Lower Badibou. The objective was to expose farmers to best practices in agriculture and educate them on the benefits of using organic manure for vegetable and crop production. The initiative also aimed to foster farmer interaction with experts and encourage the adoption of organic farming techniques.
Mbye Saine, Manager of GSI, highlighted the government’s commitment through the Ministry of Youth and Sports, in collaboration with UNDP, to build youth capacity and promote their participation in food production. He urged farmers to adopt organic methods to improve productivity, noting that since 2015, the centre has focused on the use of organic manure and pesticides.
Saine explained that 50 youths and women are currently undergoing intensive integrated agriculture training, with 85 percent of the programme being practical. He added that GSI promotes the use of biogas generated from animal dung for cooking, as well as the production of liquid and compost manure. These practices, he said, have boosted crop yields and helped mitigate the impacts of climate change.
Alpha Sey, Executive Director of Njawara Agricultural Training Centre, said the purpose of the exchange visit was to promote agronomic best practices and encourage positive behavioural changes among farmers regarding the use of organic inputs. He commended GSI for its effective transfer of knowledge and praised master farmer Momodou Loum for promoting integrated agriculture and environmental protection while building youth capacity in organic manure production.
Saikou F. Bah, Project Manager of SAPOF at ActionAid International, described the study tour as timely and important. He noted that the visit enabled farmers to gain hands-on knowledge in poultry breeding, nursery preparation and management, bed planting techniques, and the treatment of plants using organic pesticides.
The SAPOF project is set to produce compost manure in Dalaba and Balanghar in CRR, and Sare Birom in Lower Nuimi. He emphasized that the visit has fostered shared learning and practical exposure to organic farming systems.
Babou Nyass, Project Focal Point at Njawara Agricultural Training Centre, expressed appreciation to ActionAid International, The Gambia, for the partnership. He assured that close monitoring and supervision will continue and called on participating farmers to make good use of the knowledge gained.
Speaking during the site visit, Momodou Loum, Master Farmer at Toroba, encouraged both farmers and young people to promote integrated agriculture to enhance food security and employment creation. He thanked the GIRAV project and the government for supporting him with a youth matching grant, which enabled him to expand into poultry breeding and acquire a hatching machine.
Loum also called on farmers to adopt organic manure use for both lowland and upland farming to boost soil nutrients and crop yields. His farm incorporates poultry, small ruminants, and dairy cattle, and he praised WALIC for providing a high-breed cow that produced 300 litres of milk in less than three months. He stressed that such livestock require proper care and urged the government and development partners to support farmers with high-breed animals to improve income generation.
MaNyima Jatta of Toubakolong thanked ActionAid and Njawara Agricultural Training Centre for the initiative, noting that organic manure has improved productivity and product quality. She encouraged farmers to abandon chemical fertilizers and adopt large-scale organic manure production for gardens, rice fields, and upland crops. She also appealed for support to establish a women’s garden.
Kaddy Jammeh of Dia in Upper Badibou said the visit allowed her to learn new techniques for treating vegetables against disease using organic methods. She called for more capacity-building programmes to help farmers adopt improved agricultural practices and address market challenges. Jammeh also appealed for a vegetable garden and greater inclusion of Badibou Dai farmers in future training initiatives.