At the State House in Banjul on Friday, June 24, 2022, President Adama Barrow hosted a delegation led by H.E. Kim Ji-Joon, the Korean ambassador to The Gambia.
The team traveled to Banjul to announce the arrival of sample rice seeds for the country’s increased rice production.
When introduced to The Gambia, the rice variety, according to Ambassador Ji-Joon, has the potential to double the nation’s present rice production capacity.
He said that the rice has been successfully tested in Guinea and Senegal and is adaptable to various soil types. It is the same rice variety that Korea used to revolutionize its rice production and address concerns about food security in the 1970s, according to Ambassador Ji-Joon. He stated that he also wants to carry out the same in The Gambia.
Dr. Demba Saballly, the Minister of Agriculture, escorted the Korean delegation to the State House. The Korean rice has been sent to the National Agricultural Research Institute (NARI), according to Dr. Sabally, and will be planted in July.
The rice type currently produced yields about four tonnes per hectare, whereas the Korean variety will yield about seven tonnes per hectare, according to Hon. Sabally.
The planting, according to the honorable Sabally, would cover 25 hectares across the nation. He stated that if this study was successful, rice production in the nation may be expanded outside of its usual locations in CRR and URR.
In order to close the skills gap in the nation, skill centers will be opened, according to Muhammed Jah, the Honorary Consul of Korea to The Gambia.