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Rice Situation in The Gambia

Rice Situation in The Gambia. Presented by Alphu Jain Marong. CARD 2 nd Group Countries NRDS Development Regional Workshop Cotonou , Benin 5 - 9 July, 2010. Introduction. Agriculture employs approximately 70% of the population Contributes about 30% of the GDP

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Rice Situation in The Gambia

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  1. Rice Situation in The Gambia Presented by Alphu Jain Marong CARD 2nd Group Countries NRDS Development Regional Workshop Cotonou, Benin 5 - 9 July, 2010

  2. Introduction • Agriculture employs approximately 70% of the • population • Contributes about 30% of the GDP • About 25% of GDP and 90% of domestic • export earnings derived from agriculture

  3. Importance of Rice in The Gambia • Rice is the staple in The Gambia • 66% of income is spent on food • 83.2% of Cereal and Cereal products is rice • Rice development agenda is high-lighted in the following national documents • PRSP I&II, GNAIP, Vision 2020 - These documents emphasize transforming The Gambia into an exported-oriented agriculture

  4. Rice Production Systems • Predominantly rainfed • 85.8% of total hectarage • 57.8% of total paddy production • Ecologies • Upland (pure rainfed) • Hydromorphics (Bantafaros) • Freshwater tidal swamps • Mangrove tidal swamps • Water controlled irrigated swamps • Improved freshwater tidal • Low-lift pump irrigation

  5. Rice Map of The Gambia Freshwater Irrigated swamps Upland / Hydromorpic Mangrove swamps

  6. Total Rice production and Demand • Population: 1.8 million • Per capitata consumption: 117.33 kg • Demand: 211,194 MT (milled rice) • Production: 22,980 MT (milled rice) • % Self sufficiency: 11% • Deficit: 89% With emphasis on irrigation, with just 20,000ha under intensification and improved productivity, 68% of national demand can be achieved

  7. Major Constraints to Sustainable Increased Rice Production • Climatic/Environmental Constraints • The adverse effects of climate change • (The Gambia is located in the Sahel, the most vulnerable region to drought in the world) • Soil degradation • Socio-Economic Constraints • Lack of ready access to inputs and farm implements • Lack of remunerating marketing channels

  8. National Policies and Strategies for Sustainable Increased Rice Production • Short-term Strategies • Intensive promotion of the NERICAs • Improved seed production • Medium and Long-term Strategies • Improve national capacity (human resource and infrastructure) Increase current manpower by 20% per annum up to 2018: Rice Agronomist (6), Seed technologist (2), Post-harvest specialists (1), Agricultural mechanics (2), Research technicians (9), Extension (3)

  9. Conclusion The priority agro-ecology for achieving increased rice production is irrigated. • Largely unexploited vast fertile lowland swamps along the river Gambia • Abundant surface water for year round irrigation within the freshwater zone of the river • A semi-arid tropical climatic with high solar radiation • A growing season of normally 365 days The development and expansion of improved irrigation infrastructure, and a commercially-managed agricultural production management system, emphasizing value-chain approach, would enhance sustainable increased rice production and productivity

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