Former Taiwanese Technical Mission team leader in The Gambia, Dr. James Tsay, has said that it’s possible for the country to attain her dream of becoming food self sufficient.   

The Taiwanese expert made these remarks in an interview with this reporter recently just few days before he leaves the shores of the country.

Dr. Tsay was quick to add that in order for this to happen there is a need to put certain mechanisms in place. “For sure this country can attain food self sufficiency but you need to have more trained personnel who will be willing to venture into agriculture,  modern farming techniques and the farmers must move from the culture of subsistence agriculture to a commercial system of farming.

He hailed the president’s ‘back to the land’ policy as brilliant and encouraged the people to support him in developing the agriculture sector.

Having worked in the country with rural farmers for about six years, Dr. Tsay seems very much au fait with the country’s agriculture sector.

He told me that his team has helped farmers with new farming techniques, helped form farmers associations, and help develop tidal irrigation and distribution of Nerica rice seed to farmers. He expressed confidence that his successor will continue from where he stops.