Gambia to be food self-sufficient by 2012

Gambian president, Yahya Jammeh, has disclosed his government’s agenda to transform Gambia into a major food exporter soon. The president said that already the country exports food to neighbouring countries such as Senegal and Guinea Bissau. This revelation was part of President Yahya’s New Year Message broadcast on the country’s national television. Describing the year 2009 as a good agricultural year, Jammeh vowed that by the year 2012 Gambia will be become food self-sufficient. He said he has confidence in the Gambian economy, repeating assertions made earlier by his Finance minister that the country was not deeply affected by the global financial crisis.
About 80% of the Gambian population is engaged in Agriculture, which is said to be the major foreign exchange earner for the country. And its leader has himself made an identity for himself in the sector, involving in extensive farming activities since coming to power in 1994.
But President Yahya Jammeh, on the other hand, appears sceptical about certain conventional financial and economic practices. He described stock exchange as a possible hindrance to financial development. “I will not accept stock exchange in this country, if we were having stock exchange, by now our economy would have been affected,” the president said.
Set backs:
President Yahya Jammeh said that the only problem his government has is fuel crisis, a problem he said is beyond his administration. He also pointed at a regrettable increase in crime rate during the course of last year, warning that the law will deal with those committing crimes to the letter. About ten murder incidents and numerous other similar crime cases were reported in Gambia in 2009. “If people think they can come and commit crimes here, they are making a mistake and they are in the wrong country to commit those crimes,” he stressed. He also had a warning for ‘foreign criminals. He said those who do not want to get deported must leave by their own accord, stressing that Gambia would not accept people committing crimes only to hide behind human rights protection.