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Momodou
Denmark
11634 Posts |
 Posted - 07 Jan 2013 : 16:52:53
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PRICE HIKE PINCHES RURAL POPULACE
By Y. Bajo
Foroyaa Burning Issues: No. 2, 2013
The skyrocketing prices of basic commodities in the Gambian markets have not spared the impoverished dwellers of rural Gambia as evident by the recent price surge in the rural markets in the hinterland.
A random interview conducted in major provincial towns in rural Gambia confirmed that a bag of sugar is now costing D1, 400.00 and prices of vegetable oil, onion, potato and other essential commodities have equally increased beyond the reach of common rural Gambians. Prices of essential commodities such as rice, coos or sorghum, millet and maize have all escalated and this has contributed immensely to the low calorie intake among poor rural Gambians. However, prices of these locally produced commodities are expected to be low but on the contrary, they are even higher than some imported ones. This has indeed continued to astonish many economic pundits.
According to the major relief organizations, last year’s crop failures have compounded the economic hardship of rural farmers, forcing scores of them to dispose off their small ruminants in order to put food on the table for the family.
One Malick Ndimballan from Central River Region of the Gambia told this roving reporter that they are approaching what is being literally known as ‘hunger period in rural Gambia’—the dry season. He stated that during this period rural people experience food shortages as their meager harvests will be exhausted before another season commences.
Another community elder in Soma Town in western Jarra, who preferred to remain anonymous, called for the introduction of a price control system to regulate prices of basic commodities between buyers and sellers in the market. In the absence of that, he opined, government can reduce import tax on essential consumable commodities so that their prices will be afforded by the general populace.
My interaction with the rural farming community also revealed that contrary to the wide expectation of a bumper harvest, yields in crops such as coos, maize, and some varieties of rice are relatively low due to unfavorable rainfall pattern. A farmer told this reporter that there is a vast difference between what is literarily called abundant and optimum rains. He described this year’s season as abundant which he pointed out do not favour certain crop productions like coos. “This is precisely the reason why production of coos failed woefully this year”, he observed.
Mot Cham of Genji Wollof in Central River Region North lamented that low yield in coos will have negative impact on their livelihoods as Wollof communities generally depend on coos or sorghum for their daily meal. He therefore called on relief organizations to come to their aids.
With regards to price control, scores of people who spoke to this reporter expressed similar sentiments and all called on the relevant authorities to come their aids by either setting up price control board or advise government to give tax allowance to importers of the nation’s essential commodities to make lives better for the rural poor.
Source: Foroyaa
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A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
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toubab1020
12306 Posts |
Posted - 07 Jan 2013 : 21:32:15
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quote:
Originally posted by Momodou
PRICE HIKE PINCHES RURAL POPULACE
By Y. Bajo
Foroyaa Burning Issues: No. 2, 2013
Another community elder in Soma Town in western Jarra, who preferred
authorities to come their aids by either setting up price control board or advise government to give tax allowance to importers of the nation�s essential commodities to make lives better for the rural poor.
Source: Foroyaa
Unfortunately the Gambia is still a developing country and the country does not have enough money to carry out the suggestion of price control etc.so world prices will still prevail in markets,this means that with the recent crop failure and droughts,floods & natural disasters through out the world recently people everywhere will suffer Africa's rural populations probably more than most.
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"Simple is good" & I strongly dislike politics. You cannot defend the indefensible.
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Edited by - toubab1020 on 07 Jan 2013 22:04:17 |
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