2. Achievement

2.1 Food self-sufficiency and security

2.1.1 Food crops cultivated area, yield and production

2.1.3 Livestock production

Livestock are essential part of fostering national food security particularly through direct consumption (meat, milk, broilers and eggs) and incomes earned from the sale of animals and animal products. It contributes about 24% of agricultural GDP with an annual growth rate of 3.3%.

Since 1994, the government in collaboration with its development partners made significant project interventions in the livestock sub-sector. These interventions include the Integrated Rural Development Project for Livestock, Sheep and Goat Development Project (GAM 87/004), Pan-African Rinderpest Campaign, FAO Tele-food Projects, Rural Finance Community Initiatives Project and EDF Livestock programmes. The cumulative effects of these interventions impacted positively on the livestock sub-sector and resulted in increased livestock production and marketing.

Cattle, small ruminants (sheep and goats) and different species of poultry are raised to generate income and supplement diets. Cattle population has stabilized at around 300,000 heads while sheep and goat population fluctuated within a narrow margin averaging about 100,000 heads and poultry population has increased to 800,000 birds all species (Annex Table 3). At an estimated per capital meat consumption of 8 kg of milk and other diary products (estimated at between 10 and 24 kg per caput per annum), national requirements had to be met from commercial imports because demand surpasses local supplies. Currently, annual milk production from the local herd is estimated at 12,700 tonnes and this quantity is considered low. The Department of Livestock Services (DLS) in collaboration with the International Trypanotolerance Centre (ITC), introduced the first generation F1 (local N’Dama and the Friesian cross-bred) cattle breed with a potential milk yield of 8 litres per day as compared to the local breed (N’Dama) which produces about 1 litre per day. With increasing income and a rapidly expanding urban population, demand for livestock products would certainly increase. To meet this anticipated increase in demand, strategies would have to be put in place to increase livestock productivity and increase the off take rate. In this connection, several rangelands, watering points, livestock owners associations, butcher association, milk pasteurisation units, conservation of genetic resources, formation of small-scale farmers and rabbit breeders association were developed. Furthermore, over 200 poultry and 250 small ruminant auxiliaries were trained and annual livestock shows and ram sales organized coupled with mass vaccination campaigns against PPR.

2.2 Input/output marketing and pricing

As enshrined in Vision 2020, the Government is fully committed to ensure a private sector-led and market-determined pricing policy and liberalized agricultural commodity input and output marketing in order to ensure regular supply and timely availability of essential production inputs on a demand-driven basis and also fetch remunerative prices for farmers’ produce.

In view of this and consistent with the fact that Gambian soils are increasingly becoming infertile, government accorded top priority to the provision of adequate agricultural inputs to farmers on a sustainable and timely basis since 1994. Over the decade under review, government has continuously provided agricultural inputs to farmers aimed at boosting their crop production and intensifying crop diversification. In fact this is even more apparent and pertinent for the forthcoming 2004/2005 cropping season. Government, through its technical arm (DOSA), has already bought some fertilizers and seeds for the farming communities. About 2,500 metric tons of compound fertilizer for the groundnut crop has been purchased from Senegal and is presently being distributed to all the Mixed Farming Centres (MFCs) and village seed stores for sale to farmers. The conditions of sale including price and entitlement per farm family have already been announced over the Radio. Farmers and unscrupulous businessmen are warned not to attempt to export any fertilizer to neighbouring countries.

In addition, government has secured a US$2.5 million loan facility from BADEA for the purchase of a further 10,000 tons of fertilizer and presently maximum efforts are being intensified to identify competitive sources of supplies from the Arab countries to ensure that the fertilizer arrives in The Gambia in time for the cropping season.

Government has also requested other partners like the Japanese Government for additional fertilizers so that the total quantity of this input to be purchased under these programmes would satisfy the national requirement. However, accessing these funds may take a long time due to the lengthy procedures involved at the bilateral level. Nonetheless all efforts are being made to expedite the accessing of the said funds. As the fertilizer would be sold to farmers on cash basis, the proceeds would be revolved to purchase inputs for the subsequent cropping seasons. With such funds being available, future orders would be placed in good time and with greater certainty about early delivery.

The issue of good quality and certified seeds as a constraint to increased agricultural production and productivity, is also accorded due recognition by government. Although Government maintains its position that farmers should keep their own planting material for immediate use during emergencies, its major pre-occupation now is the provision of certified seeds for multiplication by farmers. This will enhance agricultural production and productivity as well as increase farmers’ incomes. In this connection, a total of 800 metric tons of certified groundnut seeds have been bought from Senegal and are presently being sold to farmers throughout the country. All Farmers who purchase seeds would be registered for a buy back programme, to enable Government establish a National Seed Bank. At the same time DOSA has finalized plans for the establishment of a Seed Growers Association to pilot the development of a National Seed Industry.

In the area of output pricing, government has made significant strides in the provision of an enabling environment for the private sector and other stakeholders to operate. For instance, the output marketing of groundnuts is being handled by the Agri-business Service Plan Association (ASPA) with government intervention limited to ensuring remunerative producer prices to farmers. Admittedly, government’s stance is resolute in the provision of crop financing when the private sector fails to do so. In fact during the 2004 trade season, groundnut purchase would have been grounded to a complete halt without ardent government assistance.

The Secretary of State for Agriculture has setup a Consultative Working Group comprising private sector and technical experts on marketing and financing for the agricultural sector. The Group has started work in earnest and is expected to come up with a report with recommendations for establishing an integrated and organized marketing strategy for agricultural produce as well as the provision of an adequate and sustainable financing support framework for the agricultural sector.

Coarse grain marketing is also critical to ensure household food security and income levels. Plans are afoot for government and the private sector to promote and support the concept of rural cereal banks. Purchased grain stocks can be kept in cereal banks that will act as buffer stocks to stabilize grain supplies as well as prices particularly during the lean period (August – September) when farmers’ caloric intakes for labour-intensive farming operations are most critical.

2.3 Agricultural mechanization

With an apparent short rainy season and/or erratic distribution pattern, early crop development has become a decisive factor in determining the final output. This phenomenon is aggravated by the continuous rural-urban migration and its resultant labour shortage hence the urgent need for farm mechanization.

Prior to 1994, agricultural mechanization was principally limited to the use of animal traction, few power-tillers and privately-owned tractors. After July 22^nd military takeover, the President in response to the national plight of farmers provided over 70 tractors to farmers to alleviate their labour shortage and enhance increased productivity. To better manage the fleet of tractors, an Agricultural Mechanization Unit (AMU) has been established within the Department of Agricultural Services. This unit oversees the daily operations of the tractors which are distributed among the Divisional Agricultural Offices (DAO) under the jurisdiction of the Divisional Agricultural Coordinators (DACs). Overall, the tractors have impacted positively to the timely operations of scheduled farming activities.

The current fleet of 70 operational tractors are capable of cultivating a total of at least 1,000 ha for the 2004/2005 cropping season. However, there is urgent need to improve the management of the fleet through better usage planning, maintenance and training of operators. In this regard, DOSA has put in place a system whereby tractors will only be deployed to villages now after farmers have paid for sufficient fields to be ploughed. This is to avoid tractors having to travel long distances between villages only to plough a few acres. Village Akalolous are therefore urged to cooperate with the Village Extension Workers (VEWs) by coordinating the collection of fees for tractor services in their villages in order to ensure their timely deployment.

2.4 Agricultural research

The National Agricultural Research Institute (NARI) was established by an act Parliament and mandated to carry out agricultural research on both crops and livestock. NARI concentrates mainly on adaptive research. Over the last decade, its research areas focused on improvements in cereal production, agricultural engineering, cropping systems and resource management, agro-forestry in production systems and grain legumes and oilseeds improvement and development.

During the last decade, improvements in cereal and oilseed productions emphasized on varietal trials (both on-farm and on-station) in search of high yielding crop varieties suitable to the various agro-ecological zones for production and productivity enhancements, drought/flood, pests, diseases and stress tolerance. In this regard, since 1994, a series of crop varieties were recommended by NARI for introduction and adoption in the country’s farming system. These include the New Rice for Africa (NERICA); Chinese improved rice varieties WITA4, WITA6, ROK5, etc; and maize varieties NCB (90-95 days), TZEF-Y (82 days) with yield potentials of 6-7 metric tons for rice and up to 3.5 metric tons for maize. For oilseeds, the groundnut variety 73-33 was also introduced. The agricultural engineering unit actively modified farm implements (sine hoe) using appropriate technology, introduced the row-markers for planting upland crops in rows, reduced weight of ox-drawn ploughs from 40kg to 25kg for draft animals to work in swamps and developed seeding plates for sesame planting. It also made and modified harvesting and post harvest equipments (traditional sickles for rice harvesting and trained local blacksmiths to produce them, made wooden and iron threshing tables for rice, made de-hullers for coarse grain cereals). In the area of water lifting devices, some low cost water lifting devices were developed (pedal pumps, hand chain pumps, rope and washer pumps). The engineering unit also made significant progress in developing food processing equipments (maize sheller, oil press, modified pestle for de-hulling and threshing, rice thresher and blower and machine for processing and packing cassava for Gari and chips). Agro-forestry research has also concentrated on the provision of live fencing and animal feed (leuceana loecocephala, adanso digitata and gliricidia sepium).

2.4 Programme/Project interventions

A significant number of agricultural programme/project interventions were made by government and its development partners to improve national food security and ease the plight of the most affected communities. These programmes/projects interventions and their achievements are detailed below:

Lowland Development Programme (LADEP) - is jointly funded by the ADB, IFAD and the Government of the Gambia has registered significant progress in improving traditional rice production by developing additional hectares of swamps through impounding of water and increasing access to swamps through the construction of bridges and causeways. The Soil and Water Management Unit (SWMU) with the largest funding from LADEP opened up 3,471 ha of lowland and 4,010 ha of swamp fields through the construction of 129,451 metres of anti-salt and water retention dikes and 4,285 metres of spillways, 1,829 metres of bridges, 67,805 metres of causeways benefiting over 415 rural communities nationwide within the last decade for increased rice production to enhance national food security.

The Rural Finance and Community Initiatives Projects (RFCIP)– is funded by IFAD and the Government of the Gambia with the objective of improving food security and income of households through capacity building, strengthening of Village Savings and Credit Associations (VISACAs) and support for agriculture and livestock initiatives of the rural communities. Thus far remarkable progress has been achieved since the start of project implementation. The project has so far constructed 20 VISACAs and 15 wells, and 92 VISACAs benefited from the credit line revolving fund. More farmers now have access to credit through the network of VISACAs and village based credit unions. Savings of up to D50 millions have been realized by the Co-operatives Credit Unions and up to D30 millions by the VISACA network. Out of D30 millions, RFCIP contributed over D7.9 millions by 2002 for onward lending to the various VISACAs it is supporting and about 7,000 farmers benefited. In addition, a total of 71 cashiers and 257 management committee members have been trained on various aspects of VISACA operations, concept and practice as well as small business skills. The extensive training of 193 village auxiliaries (92 in crop production and protection techniques and 101 in animal husbandry), the training of 24 animators and sensitization of farmer beneficiaries and awareness creation of project goals, objectives and activities have all been conducted. Livestock show grounds at Yero-Beri Kunda (CRD) and Abuko (WD) as well as livestock slaughter houses at Brikamaba and Bansang have been rehabilitated. Six intensive feed gardens were established in LRD and CRD and are integrated into vegetable production system to provide supplementary fodder to small ruminants for increased productivity and provide nutritious food to rural communities and generate income for food security and poverty alleviation.

Peri-Urban Smallholder Improvement Project (PSIP) – is a five-year project jointly funded by the Government of The Gambia (GOTG), the African Development Bank (ABD) and farmer beneficiaries. The total project cost is about D145 millions and its area of operation is the Western and North Bank Division. The project beneficiaries are women and youths who are involved in horticultural and small ruminant production. The project is contributing toward poverty reduction and improved food security through direct consumption and income generation.

In order to achieve this and since project implementation in 2001, the project established 24 garden schemes (11 in WD and 13 in NBD) with a total of 77.5 ha, 9,635 lime seedlings were distributed for live fencing, 350,000 quality clones (168,000 cuttings of cassava and 182,000 vines of sweet potatoes) were produced and distributed to selected contract farmers, 65 radio sets were provided to 65 PSIP listening groups to enhance access to the weekly market news on horticulture and livestock prices, 80 women farmers from the project sites were trained on solar drying of horticultural crops (okra, pepper, sorrel, processing of cassava and long-term storage of onions) and 80 women farmers trained on cassava and sweet potato production. For the livestock sub-component of the project, 8,000 day-old chicks were provide to 83 selected farmer groups for poultry production, 693 young rams were also given to 83 selected farmer groups for the ram fattening scheme, 150 sheep and goats provided to 30 breeding schemes, established 10 rabbit production schemes and 10 farmers trained on rabbit production techniques, provided funds and maintained small-scale slaughterhouse facility for poultry at Abuko, trained 14 local butchers on meat processing and hygiene, provided D1,806,200 as credit to 101 groups benefiting 7,671 beneficiaries (85% female), over 600 farmer beneficiaries were trained on all aspects of project activities and study tours were organized for 20 women farmers to Senegal aimed at exposing participants to improved livestock production and produce processing techniques.

The Pan-African Control of Epizootics Project (PACE) - is also jointly funded by the European Union (EU) and the Government of The Gambia. Its primary objective is to enhance national capacities for the control of epizootics to improve livestock health conditions and contribute towards poverty reduction in the livestock sector. Project implementation is on-going and a surveillance network for trans-boundary diseases and early warning and reaction system has been established. The project has made significant strides in the control of epizootic diseases prevalent in the livestock sub-sector since its launching.

Chinese Agricultural Mission– further collaborative efforts continue with the mission to improve rice and horticultural production and marketing. In this regard, such efforts are geared towards further augmenting household food security status and contributing to poverty alleviation. With the mission’s intervention in rice and horticultural production, rice yields increased barely from 1 metric ton to over 6 metric tons per hectare. The mission is also developing parts of the Jahally/Pacharr tidal swamps for increased rice production. Another area of the mission’s intervention is the technical and financial support to large scale horticultural production in the country. It supported several horticultural schemes such as the Banjulunding and Ndemban Vegetable Gardens.

Irrigated Rice Development Project (IRRDP) - is funded by The Government of the Gambia (GOTG) and The Kuwaiti Fund for Arab Economic Development (KFAED) to the tune of US$3.728 millions. The project has already been appraised and aims at increasing production and productivity of rice in the North Bank of the Central River Division thus improving food security of the target beneficiaries, consequently reducing the growing rice import bill. Project implementation has started in earnest and the consultant is busy collecting data for the design of the irrigation systems. The topographic survey of the project area is almost completed (in 22 sites in Niani, Sami and Nianija). Target farmers have already been sensitized on the objectives of the project and currently the project is supporting the Agricultural Mechanization Unit (AMU) in the provision of tractor services to the CRDN lowland farmers.

2.5 Processing and storage

Value added processing of agricultural produce is also on government’s top development agenda since 1994. In this regard, government repossessed the assets of the Gambia Groundnut Corporation (GGC) from ALIMENTA to redirect efforts to revitalize the groundnut sub-sector with much emphasis placed on value added processing of groundnuts and other crops. Premier-Agro (a foreign company) has established a groundnut processing plant at Denton Bridge which enabled the sector to resume domestic groundnut processing into refined oil for exports after a long period of dormancy. This will certainly improve the foreign exchange earning capacity of the country. In addition, there are cottage processing facilities available in some parts of the country such as the small-scale groundnut decorticating facility at Kanube in the Upper River Division (URD) and a number of coos mills found in most parts of the country. The GGC groundnut mills at Denton and Kaur have been out of operation for sometime and are at an advanced stage of being privatized. Another critical area of government concern has been paddy rice processing. In this connection, government has accorded due recognition to the resuscitation of the Kuntaur rice mill from complete under-utilization. The completion of the proposed commercial rice mill at Madina, Jahally in Central River Division (CRD) by the Chinese mission will add value and provide a marketing outlet for increased rice production.

Small-scale processing of livestock products particularly milk is increasingly gaining momentum at village level. At the request of the government, FAO is currently funding a technical co-opration programme [TCP/GAM/2802(A)] to assist mainly women farmers to improve village milk safety and incomes, using traditional village dairy system. The programme trained women farmers on the processing of milk using simple and appropriate technology through which milk is pasteurized into yoghurt, pure and colourized milk with additives (mainly sugar). Four village women groups are participating in the programme and using the above mentioned simple technology. These village groups are from Kombo Central (Kassa Kunda, Penyem, Darsilameh and Brikama Dewru), Western Division. Two more advanced milk processing plants are located at the Department of Livestock Services (DLS) Abuko and the International Trypanotolerance Centre (ITC) for milk pasteurization.

In the area of storage, there are many village seed stores countrywide. These stores are used to keep cereals, fertilizers and seeds for later use. In fact to ensure national food security, the government is putting lot of efforts in the development of cereal banks. To this end, several cereal banks are built in many parts of the country to enhance food security. For horticultural produce storage, the construction of village vegetable stalls is being intensively pursued by two projects; the Rural Finance and Community Initiative and Peri-urban Smallholder Improvement projects. Government is also promoting the establishment of a proposed storage and processing plant for horticultural produce to be located at Yundum. This plant is expected to improve horticultural marketing constraints as well as add value to growers’ produce.

2.6 Farmer training and empowerment

Remarkable strides have been made in the area of training and empowerment of farmers on recommended agricultural practices and also on the group building spirit. The rural agricultural training institutions (mainly the Njawara Agricultural Training Centre, Agricultural Rural Farmer Training Centre, Chamen Self-Develoment Training Centre, etc) have been both active and instrumental in training Gambian and non-Gambian farmers on good agricultural practices during the period under review. In addition, the Faculty of Science and Agriculture of the University of the Gambia and also the School of Agriculture, Gambia College imparted relevant agricultural knowledge to its able-bodied graduates who in turn are energizing the farmer training and empowerment process. Furthermore, the Departments of Agricultural, Livestock Services and Co-operative Development also conducted many farmer training sessions under the current administration. Over the last decade, government empowered farmers through the promotion and formation of economically viable farmer organisations. Since 1994, the Department of Co-operative Development registered 227 farmer organisations (62 credit unions, 87 producer co-operatives, 24 workers or skilled co-operatives and 54 multipurpose co-operatives).

2.7 Agricultural information system

In 2001, the Department of Planning under DOSA, conducted the first ever agricultural census in the country which provided an updated and accurate sampling frame used in improving the precision of crop and livestock estimates. The results of the census also served as fundamental database for informed agricultural policy planning and decision making. The weekly market price collection on agricultural commodities by the Department of Planning and the subsequent broadcast over the radio and TV is on-going and encouraging.

3. Challenges and Strategies of the sector

In spite of these decade long achievements numerated above, the efficacy of government’s efforts in revitalizing the agricultural sector as viewed from the perspective of the realization of national food security and the transformation of the sector into a commercially viable business enterprise has been marred by a myriad of challenges.

3.1 Agricultural Sector Challenges

Regardless of its dominary role in the economy, agriculture’s contributions to exports and the GDP are still low. This is due to the cumulative effects of adverse climatic conditions, declining terms of trade for international primary commodity prices, low public and private investment in the sector, resource poor institutional support services to the sector particularly research and extension, limited credit access and facilities; inadequate water supply and availability of other essential inputs (seeds, ferrtilizers and agro-chemicals); inadequate infrastructure (transport, market, equipment, irrigation and processing facilities); inadquate access to farm mechanization, low production and productivity of crops and livestock, paucity of skilled manpower; unsatisfactory land tenure system making productive land inaccessible to potential additional users; the inherently low fertility/productivity of the land compounded by rapid development of acid sulphate soils, bushfires and salt water intrusion in swamps; over-dependency on rainfed agriculture, inadequate logistical support and, the lack of instituting and enforcing measures to militate against rapid population expansion.

3.2 Agricultural Development Strategies

Overall, the principal challenges for the sector still remain to be reduction in endemic rural poverty and improvement in household food security through increased production and productivity. To militate against the numerous challenges, government and its development partners remain resolutely committed to rigorously pursue those production promotion policies and programmes which will continue to emphasize the provision of an enabling environment for poverty reduction and greater private sector participation, diversification of the production base, promotion of the agricultural producer organizations, increasing domestic savings and investment, attraction of foreign investment, optimal programmes/projects’ outputs, increased use of irrigation and other water harvesting techniques, operationalization of an agricultural development bank/fund, increased use of appropriate agricultural technology/mechanization, regular annual vaccination of livestock, ensuring regular and timely supply of agricultural inputs (certified seeds, fertilizers, agro-chemicals, vaccines and veterinary drugs) on a sustainable basis with active private sector participation, provision of appropriate processing and storage facilities and gender (mainly women) mainstreaming in the development process. This year government also provided certified seeds to potential farmers throughout the country for seed multiplication which will eventually lead to the formation of a National Seed Bank.

The Consultative Group which was established in April 2004 is expected to come up with concise recommendations to tackle agricultural produce marketing and crop purchase financing difficulties. Furthermore, the agricultural policy which has already been drafted coupled with the updating of the sector’s public expenditure review (PER) will jointly map out a comprehensive way forward for the development of the sector.

ANNEX TABLE 2: RAINFALL SERIES OF THE GAMBIA 1994-2002