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Momodou
Denmark
11717 Posts |
 Posted - 27 Jan 2011 : 21:58:17
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GARDENERS LAMENT LACK OF PROPER MARKET AND STORAGE FACILITY
By Publisher on 26-01-11
The Gardeners who spoke to this reporter in North Bank and Central River Regions of the Gambia lamented on the difficulties they encounter in marketing their horticultural produce.
The Gardeners in Illiasa District in the North Bank Region and Upper Fulladu West District in Central River Region who spoke to this reporter indicated that apart from the drudgery they encounter in working in their gardens with crude tools, their horticultural produce perish due to un-marketability and lack of storage facility.
The Gardeners made these assertions during a visit to the Districts on the 5th and 7th of January 2011 respectively by this reporter as part of an assignment to monitor and report on issues affecting the people in the rural area.
Talking to this reporter at Sololo, a village in Upper Fulladu West District in the Central River Region of the Gambia, Amie asserted that the women are hard working, but opportunities are not given to them. She pointed out that their main constraint as women is the drudgery they go through on a daily basis at the farm, at home, and in their gardens.
Amie lamented that they moved from one “lumo”(Weekly Market) to another in order to find customers for their produce. She added that due to the high cost of transportation, they end up selling their left over at give away prices to avoid incurring additional cost of returning them home only for them to get perish by the end of the day.
Amie asserted that due to the low earning of their husbands from their farms and the low yield from their rice fields, they engaged in gardening in order to improve their living condition but this too is full of constraints. Key among the constraints she said is lack of market and storage facility for their horticultural produce.
She concluded by calling on Government and Non-governmental Organizations to come to their aid in a bid to ensure their economic empowerment
Source: Foroyaa
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A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
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toubab1020
12311 Posts |
Posted - 27 Jan 2011 : 22:57:18
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This is a chicken and egg situation,even if tools were provided and storage facilities,which would have to be cooled in some way to try to keep produce from rotting,buying such tools and building such a facility is not viable ,there is the problem of transport ,and another problem MOST of the people in the surrounding areas are in EXACTLY in the same position, result NO MONEY to buy the produce EXCEPT at knock down prices,severe poverty again.
I can think of no answer.
If you know the answer then the women would be VERY pleased to hear from you. |
"Simple is good" & I strongly dislike politics. You cannot defend the indefensible.
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Momodou
Denmark
11717 Posts |
Posted - 27 Jan 2011 : 23:11:59
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| Toubab, have you ever attended a "Lumo Market"? |
A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
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toubab1020
12311 Posts |
Posted - 27 Jan 2011 : 23:32:32
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If you mean a market that is held almost daily in an inhabited place yes if LUMO means something different than a normal market can you define LUMO for me,not being fluent in any of the local languages |
"Simple is good" & I strongly dislike politics. You cannot defend the indefensible.
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Momodou
Denmark
11717 Posts |
Posted - 28 Jan 2011 : 08:13:40
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I thought you read the article and understood these people's situation before coming up with the "chicken and egg" comment.
It is stated above in the article: “lumo”(Weekly Market).
Ask Janko how much money he thinks exchange hands at the Lumo?
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A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
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toubab1020
12311 Posts |
Posted - 28 Jan 2011 : 11:40:26
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Momodou,perhaps I have been unclear in what I wrote,let me put my thoughts another way,the business that the women are in is not a viable way for them to enhance their lives, they put in hard work for no return,new tools and storage facilities cannot change that,therefore asking for help to obtain tools and storage facilities dosn't make sense if you are unable to sell your produce at market due to high transport costs and shortage of money in the area in which they work,alternative work is the answer,what that could be I do not know,the article states "She concluded by calling on Government and Non-governmental Organizations to come to their aid in a bid to ensure their economic empowerment" which I think means ,we are wasting our time doing what we are doing now,if my interpretation of that is correct.
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"Simple is good" & I strongly dislike politics. You cannot defend the indefensible.
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toubab1020
12311 Posts |
Posted - 28 Jan 2011 : 11:42:40
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quote:
Originally posted by Momodou
I thought you read the article and understood these people's situation before coming up with the "chicken and egg" comment.
It is stated above in the article: “lumo”(Weekly Market).
Ask Janko how much money he thinks exchange hands at the Lumo?
JANKO can you give an indication here and get things moving?
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"Simple is good" & I strongly dislike politics. You cannot defend the indefensible.
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Momodou
Denmark
11717 Posts |
Posted - 29 Jan 2011 : 14:52:52
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Toubab, the Gambian NGO called GAMSEM (Gambians for Self Employment), helps running women’s gardens in the Kombos and some villages in the provinces as cooperatives. GAMSEM also assist these members in transporting the products to the markets.
Perhaps this is the kind of cooperatives this these gardeners should start with and the Area Councils could provide storage facilities at the Lumos. |
A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
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toubab1020
12311 Posts |
Posted - 29 Jan 2011 : 16:23:39
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Momodou, I note what you write and that assistance for running women's gardens is already in place and maybe such cooperatives should be expanded but I still stand by what I have posted earlier that such an enterprise that these women are at present engaged in is not viable,and that alternatives should be looked at,what those alternatives might be I have no ideas to offer,everything revolves around MONEY and where there is very little the options are limited.
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"Simple is good" & I strongly dislike politics. You cannot defend the indefensible.
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Momodou
Denmark
11717 Posts |
Posted - 29 Jan 2011 : 16:39:36
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Is should not cost much money to preserve some of the products by canning. Then perhaps we should start raising funds for food canning. |
A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
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toubab1020
12311 Posts |
Posted - 29 Jan 2011 : 17:57:38
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| Ok........there must already be a commercial cannery in Gambia,that only leaves transport costs,there again,commercial enterprises like to have a good supply chain and constant produce to can,could the women provide such constant supply ? Mangoes and other fruits yes,but this is seasonal produce and would not sustain their household expenses for the whole year.I do not wish to appear negative,but honestly I cannot think of any answer to their problem except some alternative enterprise, what alternative ? I cannot offer a viable one. |
"Simple is good" & I strongly dislike politics. You cannot defend the indefensible.
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