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Gambia Daily has paid the Bakau women’s farmers a visit in their ‘Faros’ to talk to them about their struggles on the farms, and in their quest to reap the fruits of their labour. |
The women farmers are some of the most hard working Gambians toiling in the hot summer farming season to earn a living. Under very difficult conditions including the risk of vermin attacks due to lack of protective wears, as well as limited resources, the women struggle extremely hard to feed family and take care of the needs of their children.
Taking turns to share their experiences from their muddy and water farms the Bakau women appealed for support from government and private sector agencies.
SierrehSamateh, a rice, cabbage and pepper farmer affirmed that they are operating under difficult conditions. She mentioned their encounters with some blood-sucking insects like ticks, saying it is difficult for them especially the rice and corn growers, whose work is waters. She noted that ticks are found in muddy areas usually in rice and corn fields, making planting difficult. She lamented lack of protective wears and the risk of hampering their cultivation.
She said sometimes they have to pay some Malian youths to do the work for them, and this she decried is very expensive. ‘‘ The labour fee is very expensive. We are old now and lack the ability to do heavy work. Madam Samateh also decried lack of enough fertilizers.
MariamaDemba, rice, corn and a vegetable grower, mourned the late start of this year’s rains, which she noted has impacted negatively on the growth of their crops and business at large. She also pointed to insect attacks as a major challenge for them on their farms.
She went on: “fertilizer is very expensive. Small tin cup is costs twenty-five Dalasi and the bag costs one thousand one hundred Dalasi”.
Madam Dembaemphasised that the delay of the season and the insect the high presence of ticks, termite and other vermin is leading to poor harvest as almost all the cultivated crops are spoiledt
‘‘The Garden eggs and sorrel are spoiled due to the delay of the rain. This has affected the business,” she said, noting that it is difficult to prevent these insects because the insecticides are beyond their reach.
For her part, JainabaDrammeh, vegetable farmer, mentioned the high presence of ticks as a menace, in addition to lack of enough water supply for their crops. She noted that they are simultaneously engaged in rice cultivation and vegetable growing, which she said is a difficult undertaking.
