The first-ever company that specialises in human and animals food production in the country, called the Gambia Food and Feeds Industries (GFFI) is set to begin operations following the completion of the feeds production component of the project.

Officials of the company Monday evening disclosed the successful completion of the feeds plant during a presentation of three samples of the feeds for fish, livestock – cattle, and poultry to the Gambian leader, His Excellency Sheikh Professor Alhaji Dr Yahya Jammeh at State House in Banjul.

An investment of the Qatari-based company, Conapro, in collaboration with the government of The Gambia, the rice processing component of the factory located at Kamalo, near Sting Corner along the Banjul-Serrekunda Highway, is expected to be completed before the 18th anniversary of the July 22nd Revolution when it will be set for commissioning.

This development is the culmination of the visit by the Gambian leader in late 2010 to Qatar, in which the officials of Conapro were introduced to him as reliable investors by the country’s ambassador to the Gulf Emirate, Ambassador Ansumana Jammeh, for possible investment in the country.

The availability of the plant is expected to push agricultural production, increase earning capacities of beneficiaries, create employment, and ignite the revolution of poultry and livestock production, and foreign exchange, amongst other things.

Speaking at the occasion shortly after the presentation of the Gambian-manufactured products, President Jammeh praised God for His blessings and thanked Conapro for what he called the fastest investment in the history of the country given its short implementation interval.

He commended the investors for doing the project in record time, adding that they have also proven the sceptics wrong who cast doubt over it.

The Gambian leader was never-ending in describing the project as a giant step towards self-sufficiency and a sustainable economy. He stressed that one cannot have a sustainable economy if the agricultural production is not backed by agro-industries and irrigation. For the country to have a sustainable economy that is resilient, he posited, there is the urgency to industrialise, thus underscoring that this project is one giant step towards that objective.

“In this country we lag behind most countries in West Africa in terms of livestock agriculture – the reason being the size of the country, the increasing population and the conflict between farmers and livestock owners. So for us to really have viable livestock farmers and an industrial scale or commercial scale, we need to have supplementary feeding processing and this will be an industrialised animal feeds plant,” he underscored.

The Gambian leader also seized the opportunity to praise the Gambian people for being responsible for peace and stability in the country, stating that if the citizens are not peaceful by nature, there is no way that his government could have preserved it.“These are the rewards of being a peaceful country – investors would have confidence in the country and they will create the atmosphere for the eradication of poverty,” he stated.

However, the Gambian leader urged the company to double their production capacity, as they are not looking at just the Gambian market but the region where there are major poultry farms. “So don’t look at it in the context of the factory being put up for The Gambia; you are putting it in an Ecowas region, and the entire African continent and other countries that we have trade agreements. If you continue to produce the European standard I see no reason why you cannot export to Europe or even the United States of America,” he advised.

While underscoring that this is a right investment, the president emphasised that Gambians must make best use of the project. The government, he stressed can only create the enabling environment but the rest lies on the shoulders of the citizens to tap those opportunities. “This is one project that from start to finish, it really amazed everyone. But what is important is that you have lived up to expectations,” he concluded.

Speaking at the occasion, the secretary general and head of the Civil Service, Dr Njogu Bah congratulated Conapro for sticking to the promise, while thanking Ambassador Jammeh and all those that contributed to the success of the project. He posited that the project will be welcome news to the citizens, but more so to the poultry farmers in view of the fact that the domain has not been very attractive of late due to the cost involved in getting poultry feeds. He expressed hope that with the advent of the factory, those in the business and those who want to venture into will be relieved. “We believe this is a viable project and we know that at the end of the day is a win-win situation,” he added.

The ministers of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Gambians Abroad; Finance and Economic Affairs; Dr Mamadou Tangara and Mambury Njie took turns to dilate on the importance of the project to the socio-economic development of the country inline with the vision of the country.  The ministers hailed the Gambian leader for his foresight in creating the enabling environment for investment.

Speaking earlier before presenting the products to the Gambian leader, Saoud Ghandour, president of Conapro, reiterated that part of the project signed in May 2010 has been completed, apparently referring to the feeds component. “The feeds mill is completed and is 100 percent ready for production,” he informed, while explaining that they were at State House to introduce the first product as well as get the blessings of the president.

He added: “We did not open our doors to the market yet even though other foreigners are coming asking about the feed. So we come to get your instruction how to move forward. We have three types of feed that we produce – poultry, fish and livestock.” Saoud, who was accompanied by his brother Rachard Ghandour said the rice mill is at the finishing stage, and pledged the full completion of the entire plant before the next July 22nd celebration.

The ambassador of the Gambia to Qatar, Ansumana Jammeh recalled that during the president’s visit to Qatar, all that they wanted to present to him was a rice processing plant, but noted that the idea of the feeds mill was suggested by the president. He commended the investors for fulfilling the promises. Ambassador Jammeh also seized the opportunity to commend the Gambian leader for establishing peace and stability in the country, something he said has made their [diplomats] work easy in luring potential investors to the country.

Other speakers at the occasion included Dr Demba Jallow, director general of the Gambia Livestock Marketing Agency (GLIMA); and Momodou Lamin Gibba, managing director of the Social Security and Housing Finance Corporation (SSHFC). The director of Press and Communications, Office of the president, Momodou Saidy chaired the occasion.