Transcript The Effects of Repeated Soil Wetting and Drying on Lowland

Rice Situation in
The Gambia
CARD 2nd Group Countries NRDS
Development Regional Workshop
Cotonou, Benin 5 - 9 July, 2010
Presented by Alphu Jain Marong
Introduction
Agriculture employs approximately 70% of the
population
Contributes about 30% of the GDP
 About 25% of GDP and 90% of domestic
export earnings derived from agriculture
Importance of Rice in The Gambia
 Rice
is the staple in The Gambia
 66% of income is spent on food
 83.2% of Cereal and Cereal products is
rice
 Rice development agenda is high-lighted
in the following national documents
PRSP I&II, GNAIP, Vision 2020
- These documents emphasize transforming
The Gambia into an exported-oriented
agriculture

Rice Production Systems
 Predominantly


rainfed
85.8% of total hectarage
57.8% of total paddy production
 Ecologies



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
Upland (pure rainfed)
Hydromorphics (Bantafaros)
Freshwater tidal swamps
Mangrove tidal swamps
Water controlled irrigated swamps
• Improved freshwater tidal
• Low-lift pump irrigation
Freshwater Irrigated swamps
Upland / Hydromorpic
Mangrove swamps
Rice Map of The Gambia
Total Rice production and Demand
 Population:
1.8 million
 Per capitata consumption: 117.33 kg
 Demand: 211,194 MT (milled rice)
 Production: 22,980 MT (milled rice)
 % Self sufficiency: 11%
 Deficit: 89%
With emphasis on irrigation, with just
20,000ha under intensification and
improved productivity, 68% of national
demand can be achieved
Major Constraints to Sustainable
Increased Rice Production
 Climatic/Environmental Constraints
•The adverse effects of climate change
(The Gambia is located in the Sahel, the most
vulnerable region to drought in the world)
• Soil degradation
Socio-Economic Constraints
•Lack of ready access to inputs and farm
implements
•Lack of remunerating marketing channels
National Policies and Strategies for
Sustainable Increased Rice Production
 Short-term Strategies
• Intensive
promotion of the NERICAs
• Improved seed production
 Medium and Long-term Strategies
•Improve national capacity (human resource
and infrastructure)
Increase current manpower by 20% per annum up to 2018:
Rice Agronomist (6), Seed technologist (2), Post-harvest
specialists (1), Agricultural mechanics (2), Research
technicians (9), Extension (3)
Conclusion
The priority agro-ecology for achieving increased
rice production is irrigated.
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Largely unexploited vast fertile lowland swamps along
the river Gambia
Abundant surface water for year round irrigation
within the freshwater zone of the river
A semi-arid tropical climatic with high solar radiation
A growing season of normally 365 days
The development and expansion of improved irrigation
infrastructure,
and
a
commercially-managed
agricultural
production
management
system,
emphasizing value-chain approach, would enhance
sustainable increased rice production and productivity