A five-day regional food crisis prevention sensitisation workshop began on Monday  at the Paradise Suites Hotel in Kololi.

The workshop organised by Agro Hydro-Meteorology (Agrymet) draws participants from the CILSS member states  aimed at endeavouring participants to bring up methodologies of monitoring and analysing food availability.

Declaring the ceremony open, Lamin Nyabally, permanent secretary, Department of State for Fisheries, Water Resources and National Assembly Matters, deputising for SoS Yankuba Touray, said the attainment of food self-sufficiency and food security in the sub-region is a sin qua non for sustainable development. In The Gambia, he added, the national AGRYMET component under the DOSF & WR has been in operation following the establishment of the Permanent Interstate Committee for the Control of Drought in the Sahel (CILSS) in 1974.

He then expressed gratitude to the Government of Italy and the World Meteorological Organisation for their invaluable support in food security and natural resources management.

For his part, Abdourahman Jobe, deputy permanent secretary at the Department of State for Agriculture who doubles as secretary  to CONACILLS  said the training workshop will enhance  participants' skills in the creation of a network in the region  to better coordinate their joint efforts and actions to prevent food crises.

In light of the objectives of the workshop, Jobe was quick to note his confidence that they will make headway in their joint efforts to eradicate food crises in the region.