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Nokia Man
United Kingdom
44 Posts |
 Posted - 27 Dec 2005 : 16:16:50
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Does anyone have information on soil conditions in the Gambia? Is there any data available on water supplies? Is there any underlying problem with growing by soil in Gambia?
Any info would be appreciated and especially those who know farming.
NM.
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Dalton1
3485 Posts |
Posted - 28 Dec 2005 : 00:57:39
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I didn't forget my darbandingnoo still. I had a lot of fun with farming.
I will give you a brief researh by weekend.
If possible what crops are you thinking of exploring, and which part of the Gambia. It helps to break our info.
Welcome back NM.
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"There is no god but Allah (SWT); and Muhammad (SAW)is His last messenger." shahadah. Fear & Worship Allah (SWT) Alone! (:
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Nokia Man
United Kingdom
44 Posts |
Posted - 28 Dec 2005 : 12:32:10
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Dalton. Nice to see you friend.
Dalton my thoughts are hydroponics in The Gambia.
Hydroponics is a method of growing plants by soil-less medium. That is to say without soil. There are many methods of which one is growing in cocoanut fibre. There's also wet culture which is growing in conditioned and regulated water which is considered true hydroponic soil-less medium.
I'm an organic grower although the benefits in yield from chemical produce sometimes overides the morality of organics. Still, with the help of several organic hydroponic growers around the globe my goal and aim is to sustain a water culture system by means of natural nutrients gathered from wild plant sources and not mineral sources.
Further avenues of breeding and crossing plants rich in nutrients could then develop to a fully self sustainable water culture farm and the ability for a given farmer to gather and process nutrient rich plants that are native to that area?
This started as a hobby for me less than a year ago, but my interest and learning curve on this subject had me giving up a language degree. So you can see my enthusiasm.
I never meant to connect hydroponics with Gambia but I had been planning a trip there in March for some time. It's only a few days ago I thought how ideal it would be to have hydroponic farmers in the Gambia? All the soiless medium is there?
Then you think of the 'down' side and imagine a farmer wouldn't have to work so hard (lathargy paranoia) but they will still have to maintain the PH levels, nutrient levels and DO (dissolved oxygen) levels. These farmers would learn the pinacle of engineering and mechanics within the worlds crop culture .
Perhaps my conceptions are way off but I see a thin line between what the west is doing as mass production and what a farmer in the Gambia could learn and benefit from. I would almost guarentee that a water cultue farmer could take in residential clients wishing to learn hydroponics hands on.
Even with good soil conditions hydroponics can outperform soil mediums in yield.
You see where I'm going with this?
NM |
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Dalton1
3485 Posts |
Posted - 28 Dec 2005 : 17:55:08
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Thanks NM. I encourage you to go ahead with it. You are making history by starting a 'hydroponic'farm. I remember doing semilar things in a biology class (way back in high school), and that was only at experimental level. History will cheer you up, and that would on records.
Already in the west, we know that a lot of flowers are cultivated in this way. You will see a lot of people selling flowers in night clubs-in solutions, and they make 200-500 dollars in one night, cos one flower with the solution cost around $5.00 , $10.00 or $15.00.
For the start, i know you need a land. The land should also have a market, hence a way of sustaining the project. Good drainage system also is a must. Some parts of the Gambia have good drainage system, especially around yundum
To be honest, it will be a wonderful idea for one to start a hydro-phonic plantation- but are you looking at a large scale farm, with a possible market-is that what you are looking for ? Or just working on doing an experiment (feasibility studies) ? I do not know much about the coconut plantation.
Nari and other agro-based industries might encourage you much, and also to sponsor your projects.
Good luck, we look forward to your first mass harvest.
Let me know if you need connections of land in Yundung or some other area.
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"There is no god but Allah (SWT); and Muhammad (SAW)is His last messenger." shahadah. Fear & Worship Allah (SWT) Alone! (:
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Nokia Man
United Kingdom
44 Posts |
Posted - 28 Dec 2005 : 22:37:10
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Thanks Dalton.
I'm not thinking of changing the way Gambia farms or even a mass harvest. I don't have the funds to buy land and risk everything on a maybe. I was thinking that if some Gambians could grasp the idea of hydroponics it may be to their benefit.
Drainage isn't a problem with most hydroponic methods. Theres one system which has the water/nutrients only flow over the roots once, but my involvement is in re-circulating hydroponics. You only need re'charge the circulating system with water and nutrients as the plant eats and perspires water. On a large scale you'd only need ever top the system up. Smaller systems need to be flushed at intervals. Were not talking huge amounts of water here. For a start you won't have the evapouration that would occur in soil. A plant will only grow to it's watering and feeding schedule, so a plant that has water on tap (like hydroponics) will grow to its optimum. A plant in soil will calculate how often it gets water and average it's growth so it neither gets hungry or thursty.
That's why hydroponics is a win win situation as far as yields are concerned.
One question. Who supplies the hotels with salad and vegetables? Are they flown in?
K |
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Dalton1
3485 Posts |
Posted - 29 Dec 2005 : 00:07:56
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Yes, this is a win win-totally agreable, but the poor farmers got some thing else to worry about, the knowhow for this is also known by agro-researchers- but the capital to take a venture is a pain in the butt. I know that for a fact.
Regarding the vege, salads, ett.. i am really not a hotel boy, but want to guess that it is locally produced, and hopefully Sab will be able tell you that.
Wonderful lesson on hydrophonics.
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"There is no god but Allah (SWT); and Muhammad (SAW)is His last messenger." shahadah. Fear & Worship Allah (SWT) Alone! (:
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Nokia Man
United Kingdom
44 Posts |
Posted - 29 Dec 2005 : 20:09:14
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quote:
i am really not a hotel boy
LMAO. I never thought you were Dalton. I'd have hoped that the produce does come from local suppliers but you can see my angle in the question.
I'll leave the rest until I'm in Gambia. Maybe a visit to the agricultural centre is the best place to take this further.
Thanks for your input Daltron. And with sarcy remarks from ghost posters too!!
Thanks again.
NM. |
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Ousman
USA
103 Posts |
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mustiky76
Korea
3 Posts |
Posted - 15 Jan 2006 : 14:50:44
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Hello Nokia Man,
I know for sure that you can make a landmark in starting this kind of agro-farming in the Gambia. I am pretty confidence if you channel your interest through an an NGO pattern or community group can give you a good entry point. Doing these you can easily reach the poorer community and expose them to this farming technology. This kinna of creativity is what Gambia government and it's people need to consider in revitalising the farming system to a more sustainable food self sufficency.
You might have a lot of worries and side words as how to start of the program, implementation and sustainability. But as you promise to visit the country, I wish you doubts be cleared. I know that land is very expensive especially in greater Banjul area, but if you need a large scale farming. I will suggest you to consider the Numi's, Jokadou and Baddibu's where you can access land free for development project or otherwise cheap.
For your question as where hotels in the Gambia do get there supplies of salad and other stuffs. I know they get most of there supplies from local producers around Sukuta, Banjulinding farm, Yundum and Radville farms. Other suppliers get good varieties from other parts of the country. You can have a large pattern of supply to local markets as well if you start your initiative, because horticultural gardening in the Gambia is purely observed during dry season and this make it hard to see other veg. in certain time of the year.
I wish you all the best in your effort and I will keep exchanging information with you for the realization of your initiatives.
Urs
Mustik
quote:
Originally posted by Dalton1
Yes, this is a win win-totally agreable, but the poor farmers got some thing else to worry about, the knowhow for this is also known by agro-researchers- but the capital to take a venture is a pain in the butt. I know that for a fact.
Regarding the vege, salads, ett.. i am really not a hotel boy, but want to guess that it is locally produced, and hopefully Sab will be able tell you that.
Wonderful lesson on hydrophonics.
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Is good to think about home!! |
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