The bags of sugar were handed over to regional governors and mayors for onward distribution to the beneficiaries. The Kanifing Municipality and the Western Region, the most densely populated areas of the country, got 3000 bags each, whilst the Central River Region got 1500 bags.The Banjul City Council, the North Bank, Lower River, and Upper River Regions each received 1000 bags, whilst the Gambian Armed Forces (GAF) went home with 500 bags. The GAF and Interior Wives Associations, as well as the Aja Ndey Jatta Association each received 50 bags.

Coming at a time when the demand for sugar is high in the country, especially with the high cost attached to the product, the gesture, which is a traditional move by the Gambian leader every Ramadan, came as a great relief to Muslims. It also came in the wake of the president's recent decision to reduce the price of meat at the Kanilai Farms and the Abuko Abattoir to D70 and D50 for steak, and meat and bone respectively.

In a brief statement at the occasion, President Jammeh reiterated his recent advice for Gambians to take advantage of this planting season to increase agricultural production as a contingency measure in case of [global] food shortage next year. He observed that major rice exporting countries such as China, Pakistan, and India are currently experiencing severe floods that ravaged their farmlands; something he said is alarming to countries, especially those in Africa that depend on them for rice. He warned that these natural disasters in major rice exporting countries might reflect on our consumption next year.

"What that is indicating is that the price of a bag of rice may go up to D900. The reason why I said that is because in 2007, when we had the same floods in China and ravaged most of its farmlands, the following year the issue of rice was a difficult one. But the floods in 2007 were less severe than this year," he stated.

President Jammeh also noted that Russia, which is a major exporter of wheat, had announced earlier that it would not be exporting wheat, something he said might also reflect on the price of flour, which is derived from this farm produce. He then tasked the regional governors present at the sugar distribution ceremony to go and sensitise their people on the need to increase agricultural production, re-emphasising that it is still not too late to cultivate the Nerica rice variety, amongst others.

He further noted that there are a lot of people who come from areas that are not short of water in this country, and suggested that such areas could be good for rice cultivation. "I am not a politician and this is why I tell you the truth that in the future would pay dividend. Let's increase agricultural production and grow what we consume because anyone who tells you that the prices of food commodities would go down next year, the person is not aware of what is happening in the world. There would be no politics in this and what I can tell you is to increase production," he stated.

The president reminded the citizens that he has for long been advocating for Gambians to till the land in order to achieve self-sufficiency in food. He recalled that at the time he made the call for people to go back to the land and feed themselves, some people who he said "do not even wish themselves good much more than the country" misconstrued his call by saying that his government wants all Gambians to be farmers because they cannot create jobs for them.

Sugar plantation programme

The Gambian leader also used the opportunity to announce that his government is currently looking into a programme with a major sugar producing country to ensure that sugar is grown and processed here in the country for the citizens' consumption. He said: "By the grace of the Almighty Allah, from now against five years time or so, we would not buy the sugar that we consume from outside. We know that Mali, which is a desert country is cultivating sugar, Senegal is also doing the same; then why not the Gambia? We all know that apart from Brazil, Cuba is next in terms of sugar plantation - we are having a programme with them to come here so that we can start sugar cultivation in areas such as the Upper River Region where water is abundant.

"If you can recall that the time I started giving out sugar, the price of sugar was around D250 per bag. Even last year when I was giving out sugar, I think the price was around D500 to D600. But this year, the price has gone up to D1, 250." The president also called on the youths of the country to change their mindset towards farming, while also advising parents to enter into dialogue with their children with a view to ensuring their involvement in the anti-hunger crusade. He observed that women have been dominating the agricultural crusade in the country, and urged the men to emulate them for the attainment of the common objective.

The minister of Fisheries, Water Resources and National Assembly Matters, Lamin Kaba Bajo hailed President Jammeh's move, noting that he dipped into his pocket to provide sugar to the Muslims during the Holy Month of Ramadan. While observing that every year there is an increase in the amount of bags of sugar the president gives out to Muslims during Ramadan, the Fisheries minister also hailed him for giving out sugar to Muslims every Friday at the State House Mosque during this month of fasting. Minister Bajo, while urging the governors and mayors to ensure timely and speedy delivery of the sugar to the beneficiaries, also urged them to distribute it to those people in the society who really need it.