Civil society and farmer organisations, and other stakeholders on Monday began a two-day planning workshop for the development of a 10-year strategic plan (2013-2023) for International Trypanotolerance Centre (ITC) at the Ocean Bay Hotel and Resort in Cape Point, Bakau.

The Cape Point synergic forum of International Trypanotolerance Centre (ITC), under the patronage of the Ministry of Agriculture of The Gambia and other development partners, has come a week after the ITC organised a three-day confab at the Kairaba Hotel, attended by experts from different countries within the West African sub-region.

ITC was established in 1982 by an Act of Parliament of The Gambia and was mandated to contribute to the ongoing efforts to increase livestock productivity and utilisation in the West African sub-region, through the optimal and sustainable exploitation of the genetic resistance of indigenous breeds of livestock for the welfare of human populations.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, the acting director general of ITC, Babu Jobe, underscored the importance of the workshop, noting that the outcome could go a long way in alleviating poverty and enhancing food security. Jobe asserted that the government under the leadership of President Jammeh has taken a bold step in repositioning ITC, which he indicated was on the “verge of dying”. He then urged the participants to take the workshop seriously in order to come up with a tangible 10-year plan.

The technical adviser to the acting director general of ITC, Professor Ola B. Smith, said the workshop is the second in a series of workshops to organise by the ITC in developing a 10-year strategic plan. The plan, he said will rejuvenate the livestock sector in the region.

Officially declaring the workshop open on behalf of the minister of Agriculture, the director general of Animal and Production Services, Dr. Kebba Daffeh harped on the importance of dialogue with the farmers, making reference to theNational Farmers’ Conference in CRR, which he said is a complement to this effort. The goal, he said was to start a process of engagement and dialogue between farmers and government so that together they could identify bottlenecks and obstacles to make farming efficient, develop solutions to those constraints, and share responsibilities.

Daffeh averred that the aim of the workshop is for the participants, who he noted, are the central and ultimate target of the institution’s research for the development activities, to dialogue, brainstorm and interact among themselves, and come up with solid, well-thought-out, relevant and realistic recommendations for the next 10 years.