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toubab1020
12306 Posts |
 Posted - 01 Mar 2012 : 21:04:06
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Bantaba readers are well aware of a future food crisis in Gambia,here it is highlighted in the press,there is no excuse ,for come it will, I am sorry to say.
There is still time to put in place plans to deal with this serious matter,we all know that without food to eat we will die.
http://dailynews.gm/africa/gambia/article/gambia-faces-looming-food-crisis
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"Simple is good" & I strongly dislike politics. You cannot defend the indefensible.
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Edited by - toubab1020 on 01 Mar 2012 21:04:52 |
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toubab1020
12306 Posts |
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Momodou
Denmark
11681 Posts |
Posted - 02 Mar 2012 : 08:47:58
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quote:
Originally posted by toubab1020
I just found this,a possible source of information for any plan that may be envisioned:
http://www.naiforum.org/2012/02/africas-potential-to-feed-itself/
Toubab,
The following is a response on Gambia-L to the artical in your link.
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Subject: SV: [G_L] Fwd: Africa’s Potential to Feed Itself
From: "Dr. Alhaji S. Jeng"
Reply-To: The Gambia and Related Issues Mailing List
Date: Fri, 24 Feb 2012 21:38:15 +0100
Hi Kabir & Co.,
Thanks for sharing that posting. I have commented on it directly on the NAI Forum website. As lucrative as it looks, not all that glitters is gold, I’m afraid. The seed input is where my fear lies. For quite some time now, Western Multinational companies have been trying to push GMOs in Africa, but due to resistance these have not been readily accepted, generally, in Africa. So now they go in for hybrid maize seeds in Malawi, and elsewhere. Last August, I visited the University of Zambia (UNZA) and the issue of the attempt to spread hybrid seed in the continent, by multinational seed companies, supported by the USA, was discussed at one of our meetings. It was generally agreed that improved Open Pollinated Maize Varieties (so-called OPVs), are much better than the hybrid varieties, since these do not have their genetic vitality eroded after two or three harvests. The hybrids do, resulting in the farmers frequently needing to renew their seed stock to maintain yields. Now the seeds the farmers in the film received may have been given free of charge, or subsidized. But if the farmers have to purchase these in the future, it may not be sustainable. And worst would be that, they’d have lost their local, resilient (albeit low-yielding) varieties.
The way I see it, Jeffrey Sachs and the Millennium Development Project and the USA are all in this together, creating a dependence on foreign seed for the African Farmer. The Malawian government has since 2005/2006 embarked on an input subsidy program, which the entire donor community, incl. USA and Scandinavia, vehemently opposed at the beginning. The first two years of the program resulted in maize production much larger than the national food requirement. Malawi, in the span of 2 or 3 years, was transformed from a food donor recipient to a food exporting country! The donor community, seeing this, started commending Malawi for the effort, and recommended other African countries to emulate Malawi. Unfortunately, bad governance is hampering progress of this program. BUT Africa can feed itself, without the dependence of foreign technologies. We just need to be organized!!!
Best regards
Dr. Alhaji S. Jeng
Norway
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Subject: Re: Fwd: Africa’s Potential to Feed Itself
From: Malanding Jaiteh
Reply-To: The Gambia and Related Issues Mailing List
Date: Fri, 24 Feb 2012 14:29:03 -0500
Brother Kabir,
The keyword is potential. Unfortunately this is being undermined by governments appropriating (so-called President's farms) or leasing out the most fertile areas to foreign investors. Our own government is in the process of (if not already) signing away 30,000 ha to agribusiness investors from Asia. This is one third of all areas identified as swamps in the Gambia. The same is true in Tanzania, Zambia, the list goes on.. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-17099348 .
The consequences of these is more small farmers thrown off their land (at a time the government is encouraging back to land) into servitude or urban areas.
Malanding Jaiteh
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A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
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toubab1020
12306 Posts |
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toubab1020
12306 Posts |
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toubab1020
12306 Posts |
Posted - 08 Mar 2012 : 23:14:40
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That's better a bit of planning before the event:
Snippet:
"In response to this emerging crisis, the Government of The Gambia is mobilizing all available emergency funds for immediate action to assist the most affected, and hereby calls on the International community and NGOs to assist in addressing current needs and preventing further deterioration of the situation."
http://www.foroyaa.gm/modules/news/article.php?storyid=9132 |
"Simple is good" & I strongly dislike politics. You cannot defend the indefensible.
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toubab1020
12306 Posts |
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toubab1020
12306 Posts |
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toubab1020
12306 Posts |
Posted - 28 Mar 2012 : 04:18:54
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Wells in the North bank are empty of water now,fruit is withering before it has grown to maturity,crops will not grow, the people on north bank are in for a very hard time,even if rains come early it will not be soon enough to save this years fruits and crops,very serious,NGOs and the government have built buffer stores to help those who WILL be affected.
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"Simple is good" & I strongly dislike politics. You cannot defend the indefensible.
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Edited by - toubab1020 on 28 Mar 2012 04:21:10 |
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toubab1020
12306 Posts |
Posted - 28 Mar 2012 : 04:31:10
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A farmers view:
http://dailynews.gm/africa/gambia/article/farmers-in-catch-22
Snippet:
"I don’t have enough [food] to cater for the entire family,” he says. “There were inadequate rains and my crops have not performed well. I harvest nothing from my farms.” |
"Simple is good" & I strongly dislike politics. You cannot defend the indefensible.
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toubab1020
12306 Posts |
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toubab1020
12306 Posts |
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toubab1020
12306 Posts |
Posted - 19 Apr 2012 : 12:20:03
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I really do find it very hard to understand why not one reader of Bantaba in cyberspace,other than Momodou, has not thought it worthwhile or important enough to post on this topic,since it was posted on 1st March 2012.
"Wednesday, April 18, 2012
A mid worsening food crisis in the Sahel region of West Africa, international aid agencies respond to calls by The Gambia Government to help feed her people.
The country suffered a serious drop in crop production in 2011 blamed on late and erratic rains. As a result, local citizens are already running out of food supply."
http://dailynews.gm/africa/gambia/article/aid-agencies-to-feed-gambians-amid-worsening-food-crisis |
"Simple is good" & I strongly dislike politics. You cannot defend the indefensible.
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Edited by - toubab1020 on 19 Apr 2012 12:27:38 |
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sab
United Kingdom
912 Posts |
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toubab1020
12306 Posts |
Posted - 19 Apr 2012 : 23:30:33
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Thanks Sab, this problem is very serious stuff for the whole region not only Gambia,my fear is that people will die of starvation especially in rural areas where logistics of getting relief supplies to where they are needed is going to be a problem.
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"Simple is good" & I strongly dislike politics. You cannot defend the indefensible.
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Momodou
Denmark
11681 Posts |
Posted - 20 Apr 2012 : 14:15:29
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Foroyaa Burning Issues : FOOD SHORTAGE GETTING WORSE!! FOOD AID NOT YET IN SIGHT!!!
By Abdoulie G. Dibba
19-04-12
The Farmers in the Lower and Upper Fulladu West in Central River Region of the Gambia have indicated that the food crisis of the farming communities, which arose as a result of the erratic rainfall last year is getting worse as they exhaust their harvest and food aid is yet to arrive to ease their hardship.
While in the urban areas the burning issue is about rising food prices, in the rural areas the concern is the shortage of food. Touring the country-side one becomes accustomed to hearing people lamenting about hunger in all communities as we approach the hungry rainy season. Farmers made assertions during a recent visit to these two Districts by this reporter from the 9th to the 12th of April as an assignment to monitor and report on issues affecting the lives of the people living in the rural areas.
The farmers expressed that due to infertility of soil and the lack of farm implements, the scale of their production is so low that it could hardly sustain them for five months after harvest. They informed me that this year is the worst which they blame on what they described as an erratic rainfall that impacted negatively on their production compelling them to request for food aid and motivating the Government to call for food emergency.
The poor harvest in 2011 farming season farmers said, which was below 50% of total crop production of the previous year, could barely guarantee them provision for a period of 2 months.
According to the farmers who spoke to this reporter, some officials went to them to assess their harvest during the last cropping season but that since their departure, they have not received any food aid from Government nor from any Non-Governmental Organisation.
They called on the Government and Non-Governmental Organisations to help them with food aid as they have exhausted their harvest and are selling off all their ruminants to buy food.
Source: Foroyaa |
A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
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