FOROYAA Newspaper (Serrekunda)
Publisher
21 October 2009
It is one thing for GRTS to show pictures of tractors doing mechanised farming and soldiers and civil servants taking turn to work on the farms of the President who claims to be poised to harvest 25,000 tonnes of rice this year. The statistics however continues to reveal that the Gambia is a major importer of the food consumed by the people.
In 2008 the Gambia imported 123,316 metric tonnes of rice amounting to over 581 Million dalasis. The country also imported 89,824 Metric tonnes of flour at a cost of over 251 Million dalasis. 36,469 Metric Tonnes of tomato paste had been imported at a cost of over 125 Million dalasis. 372 Million Dalasis was spent to import 33,010 Metric Tonnes of vegetable oil. Fruits and Vegetables amount to 17 thousand metric tonnes imported at a cost of 75 Million dalasis; 13 thousand metric tonnes of Milk and Milk products have been imported at a cost of over 136 Million dalasis, over 6 thousand Metric tonnes of onions were imported at a cost of 27 Million dalasis. Three thousand Metric tonnes of tea had been imported at a cost of over 53 Million dalasis. The notion of self reliance in food production envisages a country whose populace produce what they consume and consume what they produce. Gambians are not producers of what we consume or consumers of what we produce.
After 15 years of running farming programme without attaining food self reliance, the Government needs to put its agricultural policies under scrutiny and find out where it has gone wrong. Lip service is paid to the diversification of agriculture. The rationale for diversification is absolutely necessary. Millions are spent on the importation of rice, fruits, oil, tea, tomato paste, onions and milk products. Special study should be done to examine the potential of the country in producing what it consumes and then formulate the policies to put what is feasible into effect.
7 billion Dalasis, Imports 300 Million Dalasis Exports
The Gambia still has an importer and consumer economy instead of a producer/ exporter economy. In 2008 the country imported goods to the tune of 7.1 billion dalasis. It however exported approximately 300 Million dalasis worth of goods. In the past a large quantity of the goods imported were destined for re-export. In fact the Secretary of state for finance did indicate that the value of the re-export trade amounted to 2.6 billion dalasis in 2006. He indicted that "about 65 percent of imports are classified as imports for domestic consumption and the balance for re-exports." In 2008 re-exports are put at just over 23 Million dalasis.
If this becomes a trend government is likely to be deprived of vital revenue to meet its budgetary requirements or increase taxation to an unbearable state which would wreck small and medium enterprises and increase poverty. Development will not be sustainable without sub-regional integration.
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