Taiwan Boosts GAF’s 2011 Farming Activity

The Daily Observer (Banjul)

Amadou Jallow

27 June 2011

The Embassy of the Republic of China (Taiwan) in The Gambia last Friday presented 30 bags of Nerica rice seeds and 95 bags of fertilizer to The Gambia Armed Forces (GAF) towards the cultivation of the soldiers’ farms in this years rainy season at a ceremony held at the Yundum Military Barracks.

The presentation is the embassy’s annual contribution towards complimenting President Jammeh’s food self sufficiency efforts and his call for Gambians to work harder for food security. Presenting the items, Ambassador Shih told the gathering that the presentation of the seeds and the fertilizer is a commitment of the Taiwanese Technical Mission, the Taiwanese embassy and the people of Taiwan in their efforts to complimenting Gambia’s food self sufficieny initiative and the country’s upland rice project. While challenging the members of GAF to ensure a good production in this years rainy season, Ambassador Shih assured them of his government’s commitment to the development of agriculture in The Gambia.

The Chief of Defence Staff of The Gambia Armed Forces, Lt. General Masanneh Kinteh said Taiwan’s presentation of the seeds and fertilizers and GAF”s effective participation in farming is a compliment to President Jammehs food self sufficiency effort. Over the years, he said GAF has been working with the Taiwanese embassy through its Technical Mission in many areas including agriculture.

CDS Kinteh commended the Taiwanses embassy for always supporting GAF while making reference to the embassy’s recent donation of over a million dalasi to GAF for the Yundum Barracks rehabilitation project as part of the support. “This is a great effort towards the realisation of President Jammeh’s aspirations to ensure food self-sufficieny in The Gambia” Kinteh said.

According to him, President Jammeh’s quest is to make every Gambian self reliant and self independent in terms of food. He assured the Taiwanese embassy officials and its technical mission that GAF is ready to take the ownership and the frontline in the presidents call to go back to the land. “We are ready to take the challenge just like how we took it in the last years or even double it” he said.

The presentation ceremony was attended by he West Coast Region Agricultural Director Ebrima Saidy and the Taiwanese military defence attache in The Gambia as well as senior military officers and members of the Taiwanese Technical Mission in The Gambia.

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