Omar Bah
The National Audit Office (NAO) has expressed concern over The Gambia’s lack of soil fertility mapping over the past thirty years. An agriculturist told The Standard that this absence of soil quality surveys can have significant and multifaceted impacts on agriculture and environmental health.
According to NAO, National Agricultural Research Institute (NARI) officials confirmed that no soil fertility mapping has been conducted in the last three decades. The previous mapping effort occurred in 1990 as part of the GAAP project.
NARI is working to set up essential equipment, including installing an atomic absorption spectrophotometer (AA Server), to begin soil fertility mapping activities as part of its agricultural research efforts. This critical step will allow for accurate assessments and spatial analysis of soil properties, enabling informed decision-making in farming practices and land management.
NAO noted that based on the Integrated Plant Nutrition Systems principle, soil fertility research should explore all potential sources of plant nutrients in a manner suitable for each farming situation. While the Ministry of Agriculture indicated that an AA Server was commissioned and soil fertility mapping was supposed to occur, a physical verification at the NARI soil testing laboratory revealed that the FAO procured an AA Server machine installed at the NARI head office.
The Ministry of Agriculture also acquired an AA Server in 2022; however, its installation was delayed due to the need to prepare a designated space in Sapu at CRR/S. The AA Server acquired by the FAO has a higher capacity than the one obtained by the ministry. During verification, it was found that neither of these AA Servers was operational because of the limited technical capacity among NARI personnel.
NAO highlighted that despite the FAO organizing a three-day training session, NARI reported that this duration was insufficient to adequately equip staff with the necessary skills to operate such advanced machinery, thus undermining the purpose of procuring these servers.
Furthermore, NARI could not provide proof of the training activities included in their 2021 budget. NAO emphasized the importance of NARI expediting adequate training and support to ensure the proper functioning of this advanced equipment.
