17 September, 2024

RRVCD Project Invests in Major Rice Value Chain Development Initiatives

  • GIRAV CPCU, MoALFS

Inadequate access to developed land, proper pump and tidal irrigation facilities and access roads to rice fields and markets remaining major barriers for the development of the rice value chain in The Gambia.

The Gambia is endowed with the arable land, water and human resources to become a leading exporter of rice, yet more than 80 percent of the rice consume each year by the country’s population of 2.4 million is imported. This high import bill has negative implications for the economy and the lives and livelihoods of the people.

As part of its numerous initiatives aimed at tackling these challenges in a holistic and sustainable way, The Gambian Government through the Regional Rice Value Chain Development Project (RRVCDP) commissioned a comprehensive Topography Survey of an area of 3,265 hectares spread across the project intervention regions of CRR North and South and URR. The survey was conducted by a Malaysian company called Aerodyne group using state-of-the-earth drone technology.

As part of the initiative, a detailed assessment and design of Pump/Tidal irrigation system and feeder roads measuring 50KM linking communities, rice fields to markets in all the intervention sites as well as the development of technical specification and bill of quantities for the purpose of tendering for all the intervention sites were also conducted.

A technical taskforce constituted by the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food Security to work with the Malaysian firm to conduct these activities held a day-long review meeting at the conference room of the Ministry’s Central Projects Coordinating Unit (CPCU) in Banjul On Thursday. The purpose of the forum was to review the preliminary draft Report on the Topography Survey and Design of pump and Tidal Irrigation schemes for the project regions.  The team comprises experts in irrigation engineers, surveyor, civil engineering, land development and agriculture. 

Mr. Mod A Secka, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food Security presided over the review meeting. He commended the Malaysian firm and the technical taskforce members for a job ‘well-done’. He underscored the importance government attaches to the activity. He said: “We have set ourselves a target as a nation to be self-sufficiency in rice by 20230. We cannot accept nothing less. This is why this activity is very important for The Gambia. Let’s keep up the momentum. The final outputs of this assignment will be used by other projects as well”.

Mr. Fafanding Fatajo, Director, RRVCDP also expressed satisfaction with the outcome of the topography survey, preliminary design report and all the related assessments. He reiterated the importance of the reports to the country noting that other projects are being encouraged to make good use of the reports.

The RRVCDP is a five-year regional project which aims to contribute to reducing high importation rate of rice and enhance economic growth through improved production, processing, and marketing, and enhancing private sector participation. It is an USD29.8million loan co-funded by the Lives and Livelihood Fund (USD15.0m) through the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), 2.0m from the Islamic Solidarity Fund for Development (ISFD), USD10.0m from the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA) and USD2.5m from the Government of The Gambia. The project targets 80,000 beneficiaries in two administrative regions of The Gambia covering three agricultural regions namely Central River Region South (CRRS), Central River Region North (CRRN) and Upper River Region (URR).