By Olimatou Coker
Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Food Security Demba Sabally has disclosed that the government spends US$80 million annually to import 200,000 bags of rice.
Sabally revealed the figure during the official inauguration ceremony of a US$1.5 million FAO-China South-South Cooperation Trust Fund that will be implemented in 36 months primarily in Sapu, Central River Region.
The project seeks to enhance economic growth by increasing contributions of the agricultural sector to the national economy by modernising The Gambia’s rice and millet production.
“Rice is our most important staple food, yet, as a nation, we still consume far more imported rice than we produce. The government of The Gambia spends US$80 million annually to import 200,000 bags of rice annually, while local production meets only a fraction of that requirement. This is money that leaves our economy, money that could be building irrigation schemes, strengthening research, mechanising our farms, and empowering our youth,” he noted.
He added that domestic production remains concentrated in lowland ecologies, tidal swamps, inland valleys, and irrigated perimetres and that they have made progress, because improved seed varieties are in circulation and there is an increase in mechanisation support.
However, he pointed out that productivity is still constrained by erratic rainfall, saltwater intrusion, inadequate irrigation infrastructure, and post-harvest losses. These, he said, are structural challenges that demand structural responses.
According to him, this South-South Cooperation initiative is one such response.
“We are pleased to welcome the first cohort of four agricultural technical assistants from China under a US$1.5 million, two-year programme funded by China. Led by rice mechanisation specialist, Mr Li Zhi, the team includes experts in rice breeding, irrigation, and rice production systems. They will be stationed in Sapu in the Central River Region for two years, working directly with farmers, researchers, and extension staff. They will build the capacity of the workers in rice breeding, improved storage, processing, transformation, irrigation techniques, and mechanisation. The government of The Gambia values this partnership. Under this cooperation they will be introduced to high-yielding and stress-tolerant varieties, modern irrigation techniques, mechanisation models, and hands-on training for their researchers and extension workers on improved adaptive research, technology validation trials, and seed multiplication systems. Over the years, the government has made sustained investments in the rice sector to strengthen productivity and improve national food,” Sabally stated.
He commended China and FAO for the partnership.
Ms Moshibudi Rampedi, FAO Representative in The Gambia, said: “Rice stands as the main staple food, with an average per capita consumption of 117kg annually well above the global average. However, just 19 per cent of national consumption is met via local production, necessitating substantial imports.”
She added that this reliance poses financial strain and exposes rural households to external market fluctuations. “Millet, the country’s second principal cereal, represents approximately 30 percent of total production and is mainly cultivated by smallholder farmers for household use. Despite notable progress, current output remains insufficient, prompting continued dependence on imports from neighbouring nations,” she added.
She said these statistics reflect the realities faced by farming communities including limited access to quality seeds, inadequate irrigation infrastructure, outdated agronomic practices, inefficient post-harvest handling, and restricted market connectivity. The project she added aims to address these issues directly.
Chinese Ambassador Liu Jin said since 2009, China has contributed US$130 million to the FAO-China South-South Cooperation Programme, supporting various initiatives in Africa and beyond.
