Which country celebrates to the news that "nobody is dying of
Kwashiorkor, beriberi and rickets, but 1 in 3 of your population still
go to bed hungry". Yep, a new low even for Africa.

Malanding Jaiteh


Courtesy
http://observer.gm/africa/gambia/article/gambia-to-celebrate-fao-award


gambia to celebrate FAO award
Africa » Gambia
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Thursday, January 22, 2015
The President of the Republic, His Excellency Sheikh Professor Alhaji
Dr. Yahya A.J.J. Jammeh will celebrate the prestigious award presented
to him by the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) in November 2014
during the 150th Session of the FAO Council in Rome.

This award is in recognition of The Gambia’s attainment of the MDG 1C
target of reducing the prevalence of undernourishment in the country,
made possible by the President’s proactive and inspirational leadership
of the farming community.

The Gambia reduced the prevalence of undernourishment from 13.3% in
1990-92 to 6% in 2012-2014; at a time when the proportion of
undernourishment in the world population stands at 11.3% and in Africa
at 20.5%. Upon receiving the award, Professor Jammeh dedicated it to the
farming community in general and to women farmers in the Central River,
Upper River, Lower River and West Coast regions.

The celebration according to a communiqué from the Presidency will be
held in the President’s birthplace of Kanilai from 30th January to 1st
February 2015. The programme of activities, the release added, includes
recitation of the Holy Quran on Friday the 30th, exhibition of local
agricultural products and a Zikarr Session on Saturday the 31st and a
march-pass by farmers, women and youth groups and entertainment by
cultural groups.

“The Zikarr Session will be from 9pm and it should be noted that no
one-man group will be allowed to perform. His Excellency the President,
Sheikh Professor Alhaji Dr. Yahya A.J.J. Jammeh invites everyone to
participate in this national celebration,” the release ends.

Readers would recall that the President received the award towards the
end of last year and for many analysts, this quantum achievement didn’t
come as a surprise in that the Second Republic, under the stewardship of
President Jammeh, has since the advent of his Revolution two decades ago
been prioritising the agriculture sector.

This is because not only is agriculture the biggest employer of Gambians
(70 percent); it is also the mainstay of the Gambian economy,
contributing almost 30 percent to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The
leadership’s argument is anchored on the fact this sector is the single
biggest area with enormous potential to put hunger at bay only if the
resources are well channeled and that the opportunities are exploited.

The government has been consistent with its policy towards agriculture,
and over the years, it has crafted many programmes to kick hunger out.
Such programmes include: “Operation Feed Yourself”; “Back to The Land”;
and the most recent Vision 2016 Agenda.
Author: Daily Observer

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