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Momodou
Denmark
11832 Posts |
 Posted - 19 Nov 2006 : 22:29:38
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Foroyaa Editorial
DEBATE ON THE RESTRUCTURING OF DOSA
A hot debate now ensues within Agricultural circles on the restructuring of the Department of State for Agriculture and the redundancy of DOSA employees.
Foroyaa cannot comment on a document it has not seen. But our views will be expressed if the document is made available. Needless to say the objective of any government that is determined to serve its people is to boost production, including agricultural production. It goes without saying that in order to boost agricultural production, we cannot rely on the hoe and subsistence farming. Farmers must not only be taught various modern techniques of farming, but mechanised farming, input and fertilizer must be facilitated. These are precisely the ingredients that are lacking in Gambian agriculture. This is why agricultural production is stagnant and the farmers continue to live in abject poverty. It is impossible for there to be any significant boost in agricultural production and for the farmers to get out of poverty so long as they continue to rely on cultivating a small plot with a hoe for their survival. Whatever restructuring is done must address these problems.
We hope the government will consider the views of the agricultural workers who are in the field when reviewing the restructuring plan. This will serve as a partnership between those employed in the field to serve farmers and those elected to serve their nation including the farmers.
Before concluding, it is important to note that it is difficult to imagine how agricultural production can be enhanced by reducing the number of extension workers from 898 to 552. If the extension workers are ill trained, then they need to be better trained to make them more effective. If the problem is lack of coordination, then this problem needs to be addressed.
To conclude, it must be clear in our mind that mechanization of agriculture is the way out. This can only be made possible by making farm implements and inputs accessible to groups of farmers rather than to individuals which can only benefit a few. The Banjulnding project is a case in point.
Foroyaa Newspaper Burning Issue
Issue No.101/2006, 17-19 November,2006
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