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Nyarikangbanna
United Kingdom
1382 Posts |
 Posted - 09 Dec 2007 : 21:05:16
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quote:
Originally posted by Alhassan
Jambo,
How come forieigners controll the buisness in the Gambia? Those mentioned (Senegalese, Lebanese) are striving hard for their survival. Importation from Senegal is not much. It up to the Gambian buisnessmen to be honest to their own people. In Senegal people do all what they can to survive. They are not afraid to make their hands dirty like Gambians. Even the banks do not trust much of the Gambian people because they don't pay back their loans. This is true.
If you are a garantor to a loan taker you end up paying because the person you garanteed does not care of you at the end of the day. This is a big problem amongst us. Sometime ago there was a posting here about one gambian woman who gave money to a Gambian man to take to his people in the Gambia and the man just stole all the money and said the woman gave him nothing. Are you blind or are you not awear of these cheating attitude among Gambians? You must consult some bank staff and question them why they ask for too many garantors or you must have save the amount you want to borrow before borrowing?
There are many factors that you people disregard.
The Tractors you have suggested could have been bought when the Kombonkos sold their land. Where is all that money? They pay smuggelars 25 to 75 000 Dalasis for risky journeys why not spend the money in equipment for farming.
Alhassan, Agriculture used to be the backbone of the gambian economy and the major foreign exchange earner for the country. Jammeh came and destroy the industry particularly the groundnut subsector. That is why no one is going to the farms again. So blame jammeh, not the farmers or their children.
Thanks |
I do not oppose unity but I oppose dumb union. |
Edited by - Nyarikangbanna on 09 Dec 2007 21:27:56 |
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MADIBA
United Kingdom
1275 Posts |
Posted - 09 Dec 2007 : 22:45:11
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| Nyari could you do me and others a favour by explaining how Jammeh destroyed the agricultural sub-sector? |
madiss |
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Sister Omega
United Kingdom
2085 Posts |
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MADIBA
United Kingdom
1275 Posts |
Posted - 09 Dec 2007 : 23:54:33
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| Tanx sis for the link. I hope Nyari could also be of help. |
madiss |
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jambo
3300 Posts |
Posted - 10 Dec 2007 : 09:44:46
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"Are you blind or are you not awear of these cheating attitude among Gambians? You must consult some bank staff and question them why they ask for too many garantors or you must have save the amount you want to borrow before borrowing?| "
alhassan, not sure why you are mad at me, am i aware of the Gambian who are cheating their own people absolutely, but this UNLESS i am mistaken was about increase in food prices.
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Alhassan
Sweden
813 Posts |
Posted - 10 Dec 2007 : 11:31:28
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Jambo,
I shall never be mad at you. What reason do I have? I must have miss written my arguments but they are directed to the ones complaning about farming at home. I am sorry if you feel so. I hope you understand me. |
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jambo
3300 Posts |
Posted - 10 Dec 2007 : 11:37:34
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| alhassan, no problem. |
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Nyarikangbanna
United Kingdom
1382 Posts |
Posted - 10 Dec 2007 : 20:38:49
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quote:
Originally posted by MADIBA
Nyari could you do me and others a favour by explaining how Jammeh destroyed the agricultural sub-sector?
Let me start off with the groundnut sub sector, the PPP with all its shortcomings did ensure that there is always a market for our groundnut produce. When the GPMB started to have some troubles, they made sure the impact on the groundnut subsection is kept to a minimum because they were aware that otherwise, the farmers and the local economy would take the hardest hit from any consequence that may arise. So the rescue plan was to invite Almenta, the world's leading groundnut dealer at the world market. This was successfully executed and it was problem solved. Jammeh came, wanted to fix prices at a rate that was above world market price for cheap political purposes, didn't get his way and end up kicking out Almenta. Almenta then sued in a UK court and was awarded $11Million in damages and £500,000 in legal cost. This episode scared off potential buyers from the Gambian market and we ended up having a trade turmoil with a devastating impact on the lives of ordinary Gambians particularly the rural poor. The national economy became severely deprived of the much needed foreign currency as the groundnut sector was the major foreign exchange earner in the country. This problem cascaded through the wider economy and resulted to a weakened national currency and spiraling inflation. For Eight years now, the groundnut trade season has been a persistent failure. Farmers would till that soil, harvest their produce and yet no market for them to sell their produce. Most of them are now frustrated to the extent that they have either reduced their scale of production or have completely abandoned their farms only to live with abject poverty. The traditional three meals per day is now history for most Gambian families.
Rice production
When Jammeh first came to power, he talked about reviving the Rice project in Sapu [Jahali Pacharr] to enable the country to become food sufficient. Taiwan gave us £33 Million to kick start the project. By 1998 we were producing rice on an industrial scale mainly from the Kaur Milling Machine. Albert Market was being swamped with local rice. But come 2000, Jammeh's incompetence, crude interference with the works of all sectors of government and the civil service, and lack of vision crippled the project. Today, not even a grain is being produced from Sapu or Kaur.
Although, PPP and OJ [the then Agriculture Minister]are culpable for the collapse of the Jahali pacharr Rice Project, I think Jammeh is more culpable because he was given a chance to revive this project, he failed/refused to learn from the mistakes of the past regime and end up doing the worst. This is what I was alluding to when I said Jammeh destroyed agriculture in the Gambia. Groundnut and rice are the most important crops in the Gambia. The former is a cash crop important for foreign exchange earning and the latter although subsistent, is a stable diet. Growing it on an industrial scale could make us food sufficient.
Thanks
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I do not oppose unity but I oppose dumb union. |
Edited by - Nyarikangbanna on 10 Dec 2007 22:30:45 |
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gambiabev
United Kingdom
3091 Posts |
Posted - 10 Dec 2007 : 23:11:02
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My ex brother in law worked for Alemata at one point. He said they wouldnt buy Gambian because of poor quality. He said it was polluted by things put into the ground system.
All of these type of companies are run on a for profits basis and don't have a paternal or maternal instinct.
Like wise most people working for them will move on when a better opportunity arises. |
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MADIBA
United Kingdom
1275 Posts |
Posted - 11 Dec 2007 : 02:14:30
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Nyari thanks for the reply. Both Jawara and Jammeh adminstration are to blame. Who is more to blame remains relative. GPMB was a sad story. Everybody was looting before it was privatized or rather given away. Frm the MD to the labourer from oil, soap to the grndnut seeds they looted everything. Is like milking the cow to the death of her calf and eventually her death. Jammeh adminstration didnt do better either, by getting sued and paying out such an amount is too bad. I think Uncle MC Cham during his tenure as works and comm minister got the gov't in a legal tussle wi spanish company Luiz Diaz de Losada for serrekunda-Bjl H/way which gov't also lost. Its a question of sheer sabotage or ouright incompetence on the side of those who advised both gov't to take reckless decisons like that.
GOD SAVE THE GAMBIA |
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jambo
3300 Posts |
Posted - 11 Dec 2007 : 09:10:56
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| I cannot believe what I am reading, this says it all, now i get it, when i visited gambia i could not understand why it ws so poor it had everything, and could export quite a number of goods but this has given me the explaination i was looking for. SO SAD. the finances involved here are mind blowing for a small country. |
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Alhassan
Sweden
813 Posts |
Posted - 11 Dec 2007 : 10:20:45
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Bev,
What kind of things are you refering to. In the Gambia some farmers us faterlizers and others dont. I suggest your brother in law should have explained properly. I suggest he comes out and gives good advice to the farmers so that they stop using it.
There is a problem between the developed and underdeveloped world where by the developed can sell very old and renoveted artickles to the underdeveloped as new. I doubt if you are awear of this problem. It is still there. It was a western journalist who said so during the problem between the Romanian nurses and the state of Libiya.
He said it loud and clear that the western world have a trend of selling equipment that they themselves would not use because of various disfunction of the said equipment. This he said ranges from hospital equipment to electro machines.
Your former brotherinlaw should have informed the farmers. Did he do so? |
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Alhassan
Sweden
813 Posts |
Posted - 11 Dec 2007 : 10:36:03
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Nyarikangbanna,
I have read throug your posting and find it interesting. There are many things you do not take into consideration.
You mentioned the rice project. This project has been in the Gambia since I went to Armitage School in the 60s. The Chinese were in Sankulejunda planting rice and even Armitage School enjoyed the harvest. At Sapu too there was anothe one also Kuntaur. Not forgetting our old mothers and sisters who have toiled to produce "BARA MANO". Then came thwe project at Jakhali Pachar.
What has happened to all these projects?
As I have observed, Jammeh himself is farming. He has bioth farms and gardens that produce a lot of good vegetabnles or even millet.
Even Barajally where the former president comes from has given him a farm, and it is the villagers and other people that plough and hoe the farms he has. Why not plough and hoe there own farms so as to produce for their own. Gambian fishing families along the cost have sold their boats so as to send their children abroad. This is the biggest problem. Today if you go to Tange to buy fish if the Senegalese fishermen are not there then there is no fish. The older fishermen sold their boats and the children cannot go anywhere or as I have been told "they have western education, so they cannot go out to sea and fish". This is not a good reason indeed.
How can a person advice you not to do something when you see him actually douing it. Jammeh himself is a farmer, how can he discourage the others?
Brother, I am sorry to say we have to blame ourselves and then now that we see the problem, what shall we do about it? |
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Nyarikangbanna
United Kingdom
1382 Posts |
Posted - 14 Dec 2007 : 18:23:56
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Alhassan, am afraid 'everybody growing on their own plot' is not the way to make a country food sufficient. If we are to go by your logic, where then would the people of Banjul grow rice? Nowhere. To make a country food sufficient, you need to be producing on an industrial scale and that requires govt participation either directly or indirectly. Jahal Pacharr project was designed to achieve this objective but thanks to the incompetence of Omar Jallow [oj [then Agricuture Minister] and his team, the objectives of the project were never realised during Jawara era. One would have expected that Jammeh would learn from the failures/mistakes of the past regime and get it right this time around especially given the healthy financial package Tiawan attached to the rivival of this project but alas Jammeh Gilanka. He is worst than I thought, in 1994, he was going to be.
Madiba, I do not know about any legal tussle that has transpired betweem MC Cham's ministry and an International Company, perhaps that is because it happened at a time when I was still a young lad. This is not to say it didn't happen but One thing is clear, MC Cham's project was not a failure at all. The Banjul-Serrekunda Highway still remains the most modern and well built road in the Gambia. Mc Cham may be tempermental [I was told] but he was definately a competent Minister and Member of Parliament.
Thanks you lot and take care. |
I do not oppose unity but I oppose dumb union. |
Edited by - Nyarikangbanna on 14 Dec 2007 19:37:50 |
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Eve
Gambia
344 Posts |
Posted - 15 Dec 2007 : 23:15:38
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| coucou all, thanks to isatou, this is really helping me to know how much will i sent to my poor people, kisses |
gambian |
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