Background
The Gambia is fettered by poverty and a lack of natural resources. Tourism is a main source of revenues, generated mostly by resorts on the country’s narrow Atlantic seaboard. The rest of the country lies divided along the north and the south banks of the Gambia River originating in the country’s eastern interior. The Gambia, mainland Africa’s smallest country, is surrounded by Senegal.
The Gambia also benefits from trade and services linked to transport of goods from the bulk of Senegal’s territory to the north across the Gambia to Senegal's Casamance region to the south. The Gambia separates the two.
Though farming is the main source of livelihoods for some 75 percent of the population, especially among rural women, for decades food production has fallen short of the country’s consumption needs. The gap widened further over the last two years due to harsh weather events and to international donors’ reluctance to support a government accused of using strong-arm tactics in the face of opposition.
Much of the soil is degraded or unsuitable for farming, with just 20 percent of the Gambia’s land considered arable. As a country in the Sahel zone, the Gambia has a long dry season, yet agriculture depends on decreasing amounts of rainfall. Only 6 percent of agricultural land is irrigated, mostly for rice in the Central River region.
Traditionally, farming has relied heavily on groundnut (or peanut) crops, but farmers are thus vulnerable to price variations on international markets. Groundnuts are produced almost exclusively for export. And prices have taken a sharp fall.
FAO Response
In October, FAO launched a Technical Cooperation Programme project worth US$ 250 000 to support the government in supplying rice seed, fertilizers and other inputs to boost the country’s rice output. Rice, mostly imported, is consumed especially among urban consumers.
The Gambia is also among a number of countries to benefit from a regional TCP project that will build the capacities of national governments to monitor the price crisis situation, to gauge the effectiveness of policy response and to coordinate efforts with other regional governments.
The Gambia’s main cereal production is made up of millet, rice, sorghum and maize. The output for early millet has increased in recent years by bringing more land into production for the crop, but for other crops production year over year has remained stagnant while the population continues to increase.
Recent findings by FAO and WFP show that in May 2008, production of cereals declined by 35 percent since 2005. Up to 60 percent of cereals are imported each year to fill the gap.
With about 60 percent of family income being spent on food already, price increases could have consequences on the food and nutritional intakes of many Gambians.
According to an inter-agency assessment mission that took place in July, the price of imported rice increased by 24 to 28 percent over four months through July, depending on the type of rice. Maize for the three months through July was up by 21 percent, while millet was up 15 percent.
Inter-agency assessment mission
The July inter-agency assessment mission also found a need to address some of the following:
- to provide immediate support to farmers by supplying necessary agricultural inputs
- to expand land under irrigation, especially but not just for rice production
- to increase the output from household gardens in urban and peri-urban areas
- to increase mechanization for the commercialization of farming
- to strengthen research and extension systems to support agriculture
- to improve storage facilities and thus farmers’ financial capital
- to address land tenure systems that leave women disempowered
A follow-up mission is planned to consolidate the Gambia’s Country Action Plan for the short, medium and long term.
