GoTG, AfDB funded RVCT Project improving food and nutrition security in the Gambia – say farmers

Farmers in the Central River regions (North and South) and Upper River Region of The Gambia say the Rice Value Chain Transformation Project dubbed RVCTP has contributed significantly towards increasing rice production and productivity in their respective regions. According to them, the project has not only reduced hunger and malnutrition in these regions but it has also improve the socio-economic status of the farmers as well as private actors in the rice value chain.

The RVCTP is a seven million USD project jointly funded by the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the Government of the Gambia to increase rice production and commercialization in the country, by using a value chain approach within the three agricultural regions of CRR North and South, and URR which are the major rice-growing regions of the Gambia. The five-year project was launched in 2019 and is expected to phase out in this year.

The elated farmers made the commendation recently during their interactions with a journalists on a joint media field mission to the project intervention sites across the three agricultural regions. The mission led by Mr. Ebrima N. Ceesay, Social Development Officer of the Project was designed to document and showcase the success stories of the project. According to Mr. Ceesay, the project has distributed 70 MT of certified climate-smart rice seeds of different varieties and 2,999 bags of fertilizers amongst farmers through the Farmer Field Schools to support production during both the dry season and rainy season production seasons this year.

Mr. Ceesay also noted that through the tripartite arrangement put in place by the project as part of the sustainability and exit strategies, several farmers in the project regions have benefitted from subsidized ploughing services and thus increasing their production on productivity as well as income.

He said: “The situation of the rice fields and the personal testimonies from the farmers supported by the project are indeed heartwarming. The project has truly impacted positively on the lives and livelihoods of the farmers. This is what the Gambia Government and the AfDB formulated and financed the project for”.

All the farmers who spoke to the media said the project support has helped increased their rice productivity by more than 50 percent. At least 1 in 3 people interviewed said they are self-sufficient in rice and have been using proceeds from the sale of their surplus grains to provide for their household needs and to build the assets. About 2 in 3 farmers interviewed said they only consume imported rice for not more than two months within the past three years. They expressed optimism that with the current rice production trend in their regions, the national drive for self-sufficiency in rice by 20230 is achievable. They however singled out lack of leveled fields, inadequate production and post-production equipment as major challenges and called for more government support.

At Dampha Kunda in Tunama District, URR, Sakoli Kanteh, a widow in her sixties who heads a household explained that within the course of three years, the project has enabled her to achieve what she could not achieve in five decades in rice farmers. She said: “Prior to the RVCTP support, my harvest was very low and it barely feeds us for more than three months. But thanks to the project support, I have been able to produe enough rice for the household consumption and I have been able to sell some rice (orylux) to invest in petty trading and the profits generated has been used to buy a fridge for D20, 400.00 which is now generating income for us in addition to the provision of cold water”.

Pa Abdoulie Ceesay, another RVCTP beneficiary atDampha Kunda said he has just harvest 40 bags of Orylux this season. According to him, this will feed his household for 8 months.

Ousman Sewa of Sambel Kunda in Niamina East District also said his produce of 60 bags of paddy rice will feed his household until the next harvest.  Mr. Ebrima Jawara, Alkalo of Barajally Tenda Village in Niani District, CRR North noted that the project has kicked hunger out of the community.

Promoting Entrepreneurship in the Rice value Chain

Muhammed Jallow is a youth farmer and politician at Madina Mfally, CRRS. He is one of the beneficiaries of the Certified Seeds Multiplication Programme championed by RVCTP in the first two years of the project. Through this initiative, the project in pership with Maruo farms bought the seeds from the participating farmers under a scheme dubbed “Buy Back Initiative” to purchase a rice milling machine at the cost of D85,000.00 to provide milling services and generate income.

Mr. Jallow said: “The RVCTP has transformed my livelihood. Through the milling service am providing to my community, I am earning between D5000 to D10 000.00 monthly. I am also getting bags of paddy rice being the in-kind payments from the clients and part of which is used to assist people in need. I am in the process of expanding with milling service with two additional machines including a peanut butter processor to diversify and boost my revenue base.