By Anita Anyango
The Gambia has received donated agricultural materials like fertilisers and certified rice seeds from Rice Value Chain Transportation Project located at Sapu in Central River Region.
The Ministry of Agriculture revealed the report and said the donation seeks to enhance the nation’s rice self-sufficiency, transform and modernise agriculture for sustained economic growth, food and nutritional security, reduce poverty and create employment opportunities for women and youths.
Speaking at the ceremony, Amie Fabureh, minister of agriculture, announced the donation saying it aims to transform and modernise agriculture for sustained economic growth, food and nutritional security, reduce poverty and create employment opportunities for women and youths.
RVCTPA
According to her, the RVCTPA project is a five-year project under the Ministry of Agriculture, funded by Africa Development Bank and the Government of The Gambia.
“The total number of direct beneficiaries of the project is 15,000 households, out of which 40 percent are women and youth. Beneficiaries across the value chain include farmers, processors, seed producers, input dealers, private sector operators and commercial agents. The development objective of the project is to improve farm incomes, rural livelihoods, and food and nutrition security and contribute to poverty reduction through increased commercialisation of rice in The Gambia,” she said.
“The project development objectives are expected to achieve through the provision of certified seeds of climate smart rice varieties and fertiliser to farmers, to production and productivity mechanisation through the introduction of technologies to minimise the drudgery in production, harvest and post-harvest of rice,” she added.
