• Basic Statistics
• Production Zones And Cropping Seasons
• Production Constraints
• Varieties
• Fertilizer Responses
• Production Costs
• Research And Development Institutions

• Main climates: Tropical Steppe and Semiarid, Tropical Wet and Dry
• Main soil associations: LX = Lixisols
• Total land area: 1,000,000 ha
• GDP, 1995: $ 321/person
• Internal renewable water resources: 3 km3
• Incoming water flow: 5 km3
• Main food consumed: Rice, Millet & shorghum, Oil & fat, Sugar & honey, Wheat

	1980	1985	1990	1995	1997
RICE
Production (T)	42,700	23,100	21,431	18,950	16,693
Harvested area (ha)	21,700	12,100	14,608	15,400	12,000
IRR(%)	5.5	9.9	8.2	7.1	-
RFL(%)	55.7	54.5	58.2	60.4	-
UPL(%)	19.3	19	15.7	15.6	-
Others (%HA)	17.5	16.6	17.9	16.9	-
Yield (kg/ha)	1967	1909	1467	1230	1341
Import (T)	26,300	64,783	75,055	68,207	-
Export (T)	0	0	0	5	-
Consumption (kg/per/yr)	103	-	131.6	108.7	-
OTHERS
Population (1000)	-	-	-	-	-
Arable land (1000Ha)	159	169	187	175	-
Irrigated land (1000Ha)	1	1	1	2	-
Agricultural tractors (No.)	45	43	43	45	-
Harvesters (No.)	4	4	5	5	-

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• Production Zones

Production Zone	Estimated harvested area (% of total harvested area)
North Bank	27.6%
M.I.D. South	22.1%
Lower River	20.9%
M.I.D. North	15.4%
Western	12.8%
U.R.D.	1.3%

 

• Cropping Seasons

Season	Planting	Harvesting
Main season	may-jun	oct-nov
Off season	jan-feb	may-jun

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There are several constraints to sustainable rice production in Gambia. Following are the majors:

• Drought in upland areas and drought and flash flood in rainfed lowland (or inland swamp) and tidal wetland (or mangrove) areas due to irregular weather
• Inadequate and Irregular input supplies: seeds, fertilizer and credit
• Lack of small farm equipment especially for post harvest operations
• Poor maintenance of developed swamps
• Poor drainage, Iron toxicity in undeveloped swamps
• Lack of effective farmer's organizations and cooperatives
• Lack of well-defined rice policies
• Poor road networks and marketing systems
• Weak research and extension support

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Year	Ecology	Other information	Fertilizer N, P2O5, K2O in (kg/ha) and others	Grain Yield (T/ha)
86	TDL	Acid sulphate swamp	0,0,?	#2.1
			0,20,?	#2.75
			0,40,?	#3.2
			0,60,?	#3.75
			60,0,?	#2.3
			60,20,?	#3.0
			60,40,?	#3.75
			60,60,?	#4.25

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• Gambia Co-operative Union P.O. Box 505, Kanifing, Phone: 392581 Telex: 2270 COOPS GV Fax : 392582
• Rice Experimental Station, Jenoi
• Sapu Agricultural Research Station, Seed Multiplication Unit, Department of Agriculture , Maccharty Island Division , Banjul
• Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Department of Agriculture, Cape St. Mary, Bakau
• Yundum Research Station, Department of Agricultural Research, P.O. Box 739 Yundum, Gambia.
• SAPU Agricultural Station, Department of Agricultural Research, Cape St. Mary HQ, Bakau, Banjul, Gambia .
• Mr. Boubaccar Manneh, National Agricultural Research Institute, PMB 526, Serekunda, The Gambia, Tel.:(220) 48 49 31/67 80 73, Fax:(220) 48 49 21, E-mail: nari@commit.gm
• Mr. Ansumana Gibba, Research Officer Assistant, National Agricultural Research Institute, PMB 526, Serekunda, The Gambia, Phone: (220) 48-47-25/47-28-75/67-80-73, Fax: (220) 48-49-27/47-28-75, E-mail: nari@commit.gm

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