§ 32. Mr. Palingasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies how many fruit trees have been provided to develop fruit production in Gambia; what is the amount of land irrigated under the schemes for growing rice and garden crops; what number of men will be put into work as a result of the above schemes; and does this represent the total effort being made by the administration to develop the colony and to improve the low standard of life of the natives?
Mr. M. MacDonaldAs the answer is Long, I will, with the hon. Member's permission, circulate it in the Official Report.
§ Following is the answer:
§ According to my latest information, the number of fruit trees provided to develop fruit production in the Gambia between the 1st June, 1936, and the end of May, 1938, was 1,321. It was then expected that 7,500 seedling orange trees would be planted in the Kombo districts of the colony in the following rainy season. I am in further communication with the Governor on this and on the points raised in the second and third parts of the question and will inform the hon. Member on receipt of the Governor's reply. The 383 answer to the last part of the question is in the negative. Efforts to improve native agriculture include the maintenance of experiment stations and nurseries to investigate new crops and improved agricultural methods and to provide planting material for distribution to cultivators, the maintenance of instructional staff, and a system of produce inspection for the improvement of the quality of export produce. Attention is also being paid to the extension and improvement of. food crop cultivation, including rice, the establishment of irrigation projects, the introduction of ploughing, the improvement of the native cattle industry, the eradication of cattle disease and the improvement of the hides and skins industry.