FAO, Gambian Government sign a D17, 252,000.00 worth - TCP for Livestock Census
4 July, 2016, Banjul – The Gambian Government and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), on 29 June 2016, signed a seventeen million two hundred and fifty two thousand dalasi (US$400,000.00) project designed to address the lack of accurate and reliable livestock data in the country. The FAO funded Technical Cooperation Programme (TCP) is designed to build national capacity to conduct a national livestock census this year. The result will inform planning, policy formulation and legislation for the development of the livestock sector for improved economic growth and social well-being. The census will also support the establishment of an animal resources data management structure to coordinate national livestock data.
Hon. Sherriffo Bojang, Deputy Ministry of Agriculture and Ms Perpetua Katepa-Kalala, FAO Representative in The Islamic Republic of the Gambia signed on behalf of the government and FAO respectively at a brief ceremony held at the conference room of the Agriculture Ministry in Banjul.
The TCP is fully aligned with the country`s development priorities, the Gambia United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) and the FAO Country Programming Framework in which Priorities 1 is ‘Improved crop and livestock production and productivity. Furthermore, the project fits in with the FAO strategic framework, with particular emphasis on the second FAO global Strategic Objective - SO2 which is ‘Increase and improve provision of goods and services from agriculture, forestry and fisheries in a sustainable manner’.
Importance of the sector to the economy
In The Gambia, livestock contributes significantly to the national economy and livelihood of the population, with potential to make significant contribution to improvement of food security. In all, the livestock sector contributes about 30% of the agricultural GDP and about 10% to the national GDP.
The livestock sector has the potential to provide even more opportunities for employment and income generation as well as meeting the demand for animal and animal products for rural populations, the growing urban population and the tourism/entertainment industry. There is increased awareness of the important role of livestock in The Gambian economy as different livestock species are used as food, wealth and security as well as land cultivation, transportation of goods and people in rural areas, provides manure for fuel and crop production. Thus, livestock makes important contributions to the welfare of the people beyond the production of meat, milk, eggs, hides and skin.
With a population of 1.8 million (2013 Census) and an annual population growth rate of 3.5%, the country depends to a large extent on imports to meet national meat demand. Annually, the country spends huge sums of foreign currency on importation of meat and edible meat offal. From 2011 to 2015, the importation of meat was estimated at about 45,000MT at an estimated cost of about $17.5million.
There is both the potential and the need to increase domestic meat production. Addressing this requires effective planning and investment in the livestock sector. This however cannot be achieved in the absence of evidence based interventions. The last livestock census was conducted in 1993, thus the available livestock data is obsolete and not truly representative of the current situation in the sector. The livestock census that will be supported by the newly launched project will address this gap.
Hon. Sherriffo Bojang, Deputy Ministry of Agriculture acknowledged FAO`s remarkable and consistent support to The Gambia especially through the ANR sectors for the attainment of national development priorities. He noted that just within 12 months he has on behalf of government signed 3 TCPs with FAO. Commenting on the significance of the project, he described the intervention as ‘indeed very timely noting that the current livestock data from the 1993 livestock census is insufficient to advocate, formulate and implement the necessary public and private invest to unlock the sector`s potential. He said the
result will provide valuable information on the numbers, types of production systems, diseases, marketing and other livestock related socio-economic issues.
Perpetua Katepa-Kalala, FAO Country Representative applauded The Gambian government for the high priority it accords to agricultural development and food security. We know that political will is the foundation stone for national food security as well as economic and social development, she added.
She acknowledged the challenge in making informed decisions for the advancement of the sector due to lack of reliable and accurate livestock data. She underlined the urgent need to conduct a livestock census as ‘we together strive to attain the food security and economic and social development goals set out in Vision 2020, Vision 2016, the PAGE and the global Sustainable Development Goals’.
This is what has prompted FAO to respond to a government request for assistance to build national capacity to conduct a national livestock census this year with a view to help improve the sector, she noted.
The FAO Representative used the opportunity to call for concerted efforts for the achievement of the desired objectives. She reaffirm FAO`s commitment to providing sound technical support for the successful implementation of the TCP noting that the FAO country office has already mobilised the relevant expertise in statistics and livestock production and health from the FAO Regional and Headquarter offices.
Dr. Duto Sainy Fofana, Director General of the Department of Livestock Services also described the project as apt and timely. He praised FAO for the financial and technical support and reiterated his department`s commitment to the successful implementation of the TCP.
For more information please contact:
Amadou Bah | Communications Officer | FAO Gambia | [email protected]