In a speech to a delegation of the Association at the State House on Tuesday 12th October, the President praised the Association’s founder, Alpha Baldeh, for returning home to initiate modern farming practices that would alleviate poverty.
Assuring food security is the ultimate responsibility of members. President Barrow thanked them for taking up that role. Farmers will be able to preserve and market their crops more easily as a result of the Resilience of Organizations for Transformative Smallholder Agriculture project (ROOTS) under the Ministry of Agriculture.
The Smart Farmers Association has more than 2000 members, 70% of whom are women. They produce organic food products throughout the year, process them, and market them. Farming takes place during the rainy season, while horticulture takes place during the dry season.
In a statement to the gathering press, Alpha Baldeh announced that the Association’s President welcomed the initiative and promised to support it. He said they shared with the President the prospects of improving production through intelligent technologies.
‘As smart farmers, we presented his Excellency with solutions. How we can scale up production to reduce importation and not depend on chemical fertilizers,’’ he noted.
Presidential Adviser, Mr. Tamsir Ann, and Councilor of Jokadou, Ms. Awa Gaye, accompanied the delegation to the State House.
