First Person: Passion to feed a more healthy Gambia

At solely 24 years of age, Alhadgie Faal has constructed a profitable small enterprise, by turning household land in Kanuma, which is in Gambia’s North Bank area, into a large plot, the place he grows fruit and greens to promote to eating places and inns.

He began his firm after receiving coaching from a UN Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) programme[DD1] , targeted on supporting girls and youth, notably in rural areas.

“Before I began this enterprise, I used to be a carpenter, however agriculture was at all times my ardour. Without agriculture we are able to’t feed the nation, and I had a dream to produce The Gambia with wholesome produce.

About 4 years in the past, my stepfather advised me that free UN coaching in agriculture, horticulture, and meals processing was accessible. He utilized for me, and I used to be accepted.

 

Planting the seeds of a enterprise

I used to be actually comfortable, as a result of we’re a farming household with little cash, and I’d not have been capable of afford charges and transport. But all of those bills have been included within the supply, so I used to be capable of go to the faculty.

The coaching was extraordinarily helpful. We discovered about agronomics, how you can handle crops, when to plant, and how you can choose the fitting web site.

Once I graduated, I acquired the concept to begin my very own fruit and vegetable enterprise. My stepmother owned some land, and she or he allowed me and my brother to make use of it. The land was all bush again then, so my brother and I cleared it to create a backyard.

At the start, I confronted many challenges. Any time we planted or sowed seeds, rodents would come and destroy every little thing. We additionally had to deal with termites, pests, and illnesses.

Eventually we overcame these issues. Today, we shield the crops with netting to guard them from rodents, and we cowl them with plastic for 3 to 4 days to generate warmth, which suppresses the termites.

From peppers to papayas

We develop many alternative crops right here. We have inexperienced bell peppers, sizzling yellow peppers, papayas, and strawberries.

We have been profitable in promoting our fruit within the Banjul area. We are supplying eating places, inns, and a few personal individuals.

Many individuals like our produce as a result of it’s very tasty. Our strawberries are giant and candy, and all of our fruit and greens are natural. This is important, as a result of chemical compounds usually are not good for human well being or the surroundings.

Starting an agriculture enterprise in The Gambia may be very exhausting. You need to be affected person, otherwise you gained’t succeed. Transport is an issue, and growth may be very sophisticated, as a result of it’s exhausting to get entry to grants and loans. Funding is an enormous situation, particularly for younger farmers.

My recommendation for anybody who desires to be an entrepreneur is to give attention to agriculture, in order that we are able to keep away from importing from our neighbouring nations. We have the land, and we are able to get water from the river. We have every little thing we have to survive.

I would love Gambians to eat Gambian strawberries. People have the misperception that we don’t develop the fruit right here, and that’s what motivates me to succeed.”