Gambia: UTGDA, ROOTS Embark On Nationwide Food Processors Consultation

25 July 2023
The Point (Banjul)
By Abdoulie Nyockeh

The National Coordinating Organization for Farmers Associations - Gambia (UTGDA) in collaboration with ROOTS Project supported by the National Association of Food Processors (NAFP) recently embarked on nationwide consultations to the six agricultural regions and the Greater Banjul Area.

The consultation tour was to re-organise the membership of the association, it's regional committees, governance structure in terms of roles and responsibilities, access to information, markets and stakeholders' partnership building at the regional levels. Also, the tour would pave the way for preparation ahead of the association's regional and national congresses through a decentralisation approach.

Prior to its congress, the event would also highlight and map out identification of addresses, contacts, gender and the three main products of each of the processors.

Alieu Sowe, National chairman of NACOFAG, believes the establishment of regional and national WhatsApp groups, emails, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook accounts are central in the consultation.

The consultation, he further revealed, would also feature regional Radio Talk Shows regarding the roles and responsibilities of the association towards household food, nutrition, income and employment security as well as stressing on contract negotiations with the producers especially for those in rice, vegetables, poultry and cereal production.

"Therefore, NACOFAG and the ROOTS Project under the auspices of the Ministry of Agriculture and IFAD solicit the mobilisation and consolidation of Food Processors fraternity into a National Association of Food Processors."

Sowe added that the project is expected to support the institutional strengthening of the association by supporting the establishment of the Secretariat of the association, processing center and capacity building along the value chain especially in packaging, labelling, branding, quality, safety, standards and certification.

He thus thanked IFAD, ROOTS project team and the Ministry of Agriculture for their collaboration and support. The nationwide consultation currently underway, is expected to end on August 3rd 2023.

Read the original article on The Point.

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