The Gambian leader, Professor Alhaji Dr Yahya Jammeh, yesterday received in audience a group of investors from the Batigroupe Consortium, an investment firm based in Dakar, Senegal.

The delegation, led to State House by Diaru Diallo, the general manager of the Batigroupe Consortium, is said to have reached advance stage on its discussions with The Gambian leader on prospect  of a significant investment in the agriculture sector of country.

This positive development was reached after series of routine consultations between the top officials of the group and Professor Jammeh, in recent times. Speaking to reporters shortly after their audience with Gambian leader, Diaru Diallo said their previous visits were meant to explore areas for potential investments. He added that after further thoughts, they came to realize that the agriculture sector constitutes a key area for the Gambian heasd of state.  

He went further to reveal that during the course of their previous engagements in the country, he was able to invite agro-production experts from their agricultural unit to come over and explore investment possibilities. He went on to to hail President Jammeh`s agricultural initiatives. For his part, Alioune Correa, director general of Versen Company, under the Batigroupe, told reporters that his company is engaged in an all-year- round intensive agricultural production in both open field and greenhouse. Correa also disclosed that they were impressed by President Jammeh's agricultural activities in Kanilai.

According to him, the Gambian leader's dedication to agriculture, as the engine of development, is a source of motivation for their venturing into this sector. "We will build on that motivation to help The Gambia attain intensive agriculture production for both local consumption and exportation," he said, while revealing to reporters that they are ready to start investment in the country "very soon."