Editor,

In the context of attaining food self- sufficiency, it is not just wishful thinking but practically possible. In Africa for far too long we have focused our attention on begging and even turned it into a policy.

Looking at events around the world we should learn and and very fast  by realising  that it is only us that can save ourselves and this had been demonstrated in Malawi, a country that had experienced chronic poverty and hunger.

Having a shift in policy and attitudinal change, and state intervention through subsidising goods and application of scientific farming methods Malawi recorded bumper harvest that until recently was only a dream. From such a case study one can safely conclude that food self- sufficiency is a possibility.

Adding to that, is  a new innovation  is being heralded from Ghana, recently, after experiencing severe shortage of bread, a new initiative had been pioneered and it has proven to be working. A small and medium size company have started processing cassava into flour, the moisture is been squeeze  from the flour and added to ordinary imported flour, from this  bread is made thus  reducing the importation bill to significant degree.

The bread obtained thus is so popular that it is becoming a prerequisite for all bread in Ghana to contain 60% of cassava flour. It is initiatives like these that African countries must look up to in order to enhance both productivity and availability. I hope the Gambia will take the initiative to go to Ghana and study this new method, the days of bread scarcity and loaf size reduction as well as price hikes would soon be a thing of the past.

Gawlo wuri Jallow