By Fatou B. Cham
The Central Projects Coordinating Unit (CPCU) under the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food Security recently completed a two-day refresher training on Yield Sampling, Survey and Measurement Techniques for personnel of the Department of Planning (DoP).
The capacity building exercise was jointly organised by the Department of Planning and The GIRAV Project, held at the conference room of the CPCU.
The objective is to facilitate timely collection of real-time data on the maize and rice fields cultivated across the country during the current cropping season. This is in accordance with the 2024 GIRAV Project Seeds Support, which targeted about 12,500 smallholder farmers with 100 metric tons of certified rice seeds and 150 metric tons of certified maize seeds. This will help determine the performance of the crops in the fields.
The actual Yield Sampling, Survey and Measurement activity will begin on October 28th 2024. The outcome of the exercise will help contribute towards addressing the perennial problem of timely availability and access to accurate and quality yield data to inform policy and effective planning for inclusive and sustainable agricultural development in The Gambia.
In his address during the opening ceremony, Mr. Abdoulie Touray, Coordinator of the GIRAV Project and the CPCU, underscored the importance of effective data collection and reporting. He explained that the output of the survey will help input the project results framework which is aligned to the results framework of the new Recovery Focused National Development Plan.
He acknowledged the important role of the Department of Planning in national development. “We rely on you to collect real-time data, analyse and report on the performance of the maize and rice fields supported by the project,” he said.
Mr. Touray used the opportunity to reaffirm the commitment of the GIRAV project to work more closely with the Department, noting that a Memorandum of Understanding is being finalised to have the Department as an implementing partner of the project.
In his welcome remarks, Mr. Francis Mendy, Director, DoP, challenged participants to make good use of the training and measure up to expectations in delivering the expected output. He encouraged them to not compromise with quality and standard in the execution of the activity. “Use the right tool and methodology. The data you generated is what the project will report to the donor, and it is what the policy makers will use to make policies and for planning”.
The Gambia Inclusive and Resilient Agricultural Value Chain Development Project (GIRAV) is a USD108 million grant from the World Bank. The project objectives are to promote the development of inclusive, resilient, and competitive agricultural value chains, focusing on smallholder farmers and agribusinesses, and improved water supply and sanitation in project target areas.
