INTERNATIONAL AGRIC NEWS

Gambia: National Agiculture Platform Launched

The Department of Livestock Services under the Ministry of Agriculture in collaboration with AU-IBAR on Monday launched the National Apiculture Platform, at a ceremony held, at hotel in Bijilo.

The platform was aimed at enhancing a smooth flow of operations by various stakeholders across the beekeeping value chain, owing to the fact that; Bees (Apis-mellifera) are social insects that are of paramount importance to the economic and ecological development of the country.

The launching was funded by the Africa Union’s Inter-African Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR).

Speaking at the launching event, Sait Drammeh, the permanent secretary at the Ministry of Agriculture, revealed that The Gambia now joined 24 other countries that launched the National Apiculture Platform, saying the people of The Gambia and other West African countries have been keeping bees for quite a long time.

“Honeybees are exploited in all parts of The Gambia for economic, social and cultural reasons as well. Many beekeepers sell their products directly to customers especially in remote areas. The harvesting and marketing of beekeeping products such as pollen, propels, and royal jelly is not practiced in The Gambia due to lack of knowledge, techniques and equipment in the country,” he pointed out.

PS Drammeh indicated that initiatives such as the AU-IBAR Apiculture initiative could play a vital role in achieving the provision of food and income, health, climate change resilience and self employment.

“There is no doubt that the National Apiculture Platform would create an important opportunity to promote the formulation of legislature geared towards protecting this very important insect,” he added.

Duto Sainy Fofana, Director Department of Livestock Services, emphasised that in order to exploit the full potentials of the bee industry, there would be need for more sensitization and formulation of policies and regulations of the sector to contribute to poverty alleviation and food security.

According to him, there is need to sensitise the sectors for greater involvement of all partners in the national economy in bringing about any meaningful development through agriculture.

“By virtue of its importance, to economic development, research on bees should be another priority so as to provide data for the development of the sector,” Duto stated.

For her part, Gibbeh Bah Jobe, the chairperson elected for National Apiculture Platform, underscored the importance of beekeeping, saying it would go a long way in helping the country in various aspects.

The representative of the AU-IBAR, Dr. Sarah Ossiya expressed similar sentiments.

credit:allafrica.com

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