The first ever Extension Policy draft in the history of The Gambia receives support from FAO experts from Rome
“The policy is very important because we have engaged with Government on the development of the policy document for the first time in The Gambia and it will help set up the directions of the development of the extension system,” says FAO expert during the weeklong in-depth review of the first ever draft for a Gambian Extension Policy.
23 July 2019, Banjul – In a bid to achieve Zero Hunger (SDG2), a mission from The Research and extension Unit (AGDR) of FAO Headquarters in Rome Italy, formed by, Ms Nevena Alexandra, Agriculture Extension Officer and Mr Abdoulaye Saley Moussa, Agriculture Research Officer, Provided technical assistance to the Ministry of Agriculture through a task force composed of relevant Government institution to review and finalize the draft Extension policy. The document was drafted after an in-depth assessment of the Gambia extension services carried out by a consultancy team recruited under the EU funded Agriculture for Economic Growth project and being implemented by FAO Gambia in close collaboration with relevant ministries and government institutions.
The historical importance of these meetings is based on the fact that since the establishment of The Department of Agriculture in 1923, there is still the absence of the National Agricultural Extension Policy document. In this view, the Department of Agriculture (DOA) of the Ministry of Agriculture consulted the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) to provide the technical support in the process leading to the formulation of a National Agricultural Extension Policy.
Having a National Agricultural Extension Policy will mean farmers will be better equipped with productivity-enhancing technologies and sustainable practices in the context of climate change coupled with an increasing population
Ms Nevena Alexandra, Agriculture Extension Officer (FAO-HQ) emphasised the importance of Agriculture Extension Advisory Services as a key delivery system, that fosters linkages to link farmers with knowledge and also helps them adopt innovative sustainable practices. “The policy is very important because we have engaged with Government on the development of the policy document for the first time in The Gambia and it will help set up the directions of the development of the extension system,” she added.
For his part, Mr Abdoulaye Saley Moussa, Agriculture Research Officer (FAO-HQ) touched on the importance of farmer inclusion. “Farmers are not end users; farmers are actually the ones driving the entire process. So, unless farmers are involved in the process, whatever research and extension we come up with, will not necessarily address the needs of the farmers. That is why we really emphasize the importance of engaging farmers and family farmers onset of any process, with regards to research and extension and innovation in general”, he stated.
In the Gambia, subsistence agriculture is one of the main drivers of GDP growth. It employs nearly half (46.4 %) of the working population and 80.7 % of the rural working population. The main constraint preventing the agriculture sector to reach its full potential for complete growth, improved food security and poverty reduction is the weak research and extension systems. The current ratio gap of extension agent to farmer is (1/2000-2500). The extension delivery effort of the private sector is also not very substantial as the various Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) do not have the human resources and the finances to make a meaningful contribution.
The support was accorded by the European Union (EU) funded ‘Agriculture for Economic Growth’ Project. The Project aims to contribute to sustainable growth in the agricultural sector and reduce food insecurity and malnutrition to mitigate migration flows to Europe by increasing agricultural productivity/ diversification and access to food, increasing most vulnerable smallholders' participation in value chains and enhancing information systems, crisis management and prevention. The project is tailored to strengthen extension services delivery in order to facilitate increased agricultural production and income generation that could lead to improvement in the quality of life of the rural farmers.