Editorial,

Agriculture plays a pivotal role in the socio-economic transformation of every society, whether directly or indirectly.  The more vibrant the agricultural sector of a society is, the easier it attains development. The sector provides the people with both food and income which are major requirements for social progress.

This reality is what quite clearly must have prompted President Jammeh to initiate the back to the land scheme in the first place, so that The Gambia is able to feed itself and to enhance its march towards sustainable development. President Jammeh breaks the ice as he leads by example.  Regardless of his status as president, he ventures into farming activities, to manifest that he is an action-oriented leader.

Latest reports on the president’s pledge of sponsoring a horticultural competition where the winner will receive a million dalasi prize opens a new chapter in the back to the land initiative.  This reminds us that agricultura does not only entail the cultivation of groundnut and rice, but that it is diverse, and so for the country to attain food self- sufficiency, we have to uphold this diversity of the sector.

This package for horticulture will undoubtedly go a long way in encouraging our farmers to redouble their efforts to materialising our food self-sufficiency ambition. The move is yet another elucidation of President Jammeh’s strong commitment and efforts to ensuring the attainment of food self-sufficiency by the country.

Another eye catching aspect of the announcement is his suggestion that judges for the million dalasi prize will be drawn from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, which will make the process of selection free from queries of biasness.

Gambians should therefore put all hands on deck and take the lead in all these opportunities that are being provided for us, so that we can withdraw the mouth of this country from the kitchen of others.  

This is the only sure route to materialising our Silicon Valley dream alongside our vision 2020 goals.