Banjul, 3rd March 2025: The Regional Rice Value Chain Development Project (RRVCDP), under the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food Security in its quest to enhance national efforts to reduce rice importation and enhance economic growth, supported some farmer cooperatives and private investors in rice production, with some vital farming inputs.
At a special handing over ceremony in Pacharr, eight Agricultural Cooperative Societies and two private investors in CRRN, CRRS, and URR received 500 metric tons of NPK & Urea fertilizers, 200 metric tons of improved rice seed varieties, 10 tractors for mechanised farming, 11 drying floors for post-harvest processing, and 20 cartons of pesticides.
This initiative is funded by the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), Islamic Solidarity Fund for Development (ISFD), Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA), and the Government of The Gambia. The initiative aligns with RRVCDP core components: Raising Rice Production Productivity and Strengthening Market Links.
Hon. Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Demba Sabally, noted that The Gambia is one of the highest rice consumers in the world. “With 81,000 hectares of potential land for irrigated rice production, only 2,000 hectares are needed to meet the country’s rice demand under a double cropping system”.
According to Dr. Sabally food self-sufficiency can only be attained with more private and public partnerships which the Government is always ready to support.
Minister Sabally commended the project team for their dedication to developing and rehabilitating key agricultural infrastructure, irrigation systems, and farm machinery.
Source: Agric Ministry
