26 November 2020, Banjul – The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) will on Friday 27th November 2020 hand over IT equipment (HP) and three Toyota Hilux pickups worth six (6) million Gambian Dalasi to the government of The Gambia. The support is within the European Union (EU) funded projects “Improving Food Security and Nutrition in the Gambia through Food Fortification” and “Agriculture for Economic Growth Food Security/Nutrition to Mitigate migration flows”.
Implementation of the projects with the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Health started in 2017 to support the attainment of Vision 2020 and the National Development Plan 2018-2021. Achieving Zero Hunger – Sustainable Development Goal 2 (SDG2) and Agenda 2030 is addressed by FAO’s mandate with the support and funding from European Union contributing to the Government of the Gambia’s objectives to improve livelihoods, and guarantee food and nutrition security.
Honourable Amie Fabureh, Minister for Agriculture will preside over the brief handing over ceremony at the Quadrangle in Banjul. The materials will facilitate the work of the recipient institutions in the fight against food insecurity, malnutrition and rural poverty in The Gambia. The beneficiaries are the Regional Agricultural Directorates in Kerewan (NBR) and Kuntaur (CRR North), Agri-Business services (ABS), National Agricultural Research Institute (NARI) and the Directorate of Health Promotion and Education of the Ministry of Health.
- The Regional Agricultural Directorate in Kerewan (NBR) will receive 1 Toyota Pickup; 1 Laptop and 1 printer whilst the Regional Agricultural Directorate in Kuntaur (CRR North) will get 1 laptop and 1 printer to facilitate the piloting of the newly formulated Gambia Agriculture Extension Policy in the two ecological sites (NBR and CCRN).
- The Agri-Business services (ABS) under the Ministry of Agriculture will receive 1 Pickup Toyota and 2 Laptops and 1 printer for the implementation of the newly formulated Gambia National Cooperative Policy.
- The National Agricultural Research Institute (NARI) Breeding Laboratories are currently being rehabilitated by FAO. NARI will receive 4 laptops and 1 printer to support NARI Young scientists in the different breeding teams.
- The Directorate of Health Promotion and Education of the Ministry of Health will receive a Toyota Pickup to sensitize communities on consumption of micronutrient rich and fortified foods.
FAO’s Food Fortification Project improves the food and nutrition security of vulnerable women and children. It focuses on ensuring access to and consumption of micronutrient rich foods, industrially fortified as well as bio-fortified food with adaptive strategies for promoting better nutrition outcomes. This integrated initiative will reinforce the regulatory systems and public private partnerships on food fortification. Furthermore, it will contribute to increasing the awareness, knowledge and skills required for the production, the conservation and consumption of diverse food by project beneficiaries. The expected results of the project will reinforce the regulatory framework for food fortification and raise the level of awareness of and access to fortified and bio fortified food to about 65% of Gambia’s population. Public and private institutions will be encouraged to support food fortification.
The support material will address establishing and maintaining an effective agricultural extension service. With this support, the recently finalized Agriculture Extension Policy market reforms driven, it is realistic and responsive to the dynamics in the agricultural sector in The Gambia. Hence, the importance of the equipment support to modernize agriculture and for digital work innovation.
The importance of extension policies was recognized by the FAO’s Global Consultation on Agricultural Extension when it recommended that “all national governments should develop and periodically review their agricultural extension policy. This policy should include the goals of agricultural extension, the responsible agencies and personnel, the clientele to be served, the broad programmatic areas to be addressed, and other relevant guidelines.” The consultation further recommended, that “FAO in cooperation with the donor community, should engage in policy dialogue with national governments to stress the importance of agricultural extension in agricultural development and the need to have an explicit, formally enacted, agricultural extension policy”
Formulating the Gambia National Cooperative Policy will enable a system-wide capacity development. The Comprehensive National Cooperative Policy will seek to shift the Gambia’s cooperative governance from the current cooperatives dependence on projects into efficient sustainable organizations increasing the agricultural sector’s performance.
With the vital European Union funding, FAO also supports the Gambia Government in the creation of a pool of scientists and experts to fill the gap of plant breeders to develop new seed varieties that can adapt to the national circumstances. Due to the current Climate Emergency, seeds need to be more climate resilient and adaptive to the local ecology. Early in the year, EU supported NARI with motorcycles to support breeding operations.
Handing over IT equipment and the vehicles is a small step in the right direction. However much more is required noting the impact of COVID-19, socio-economic gaps and the uncertainty of climate change. Better national revenue mobilization and increased budgetary allocation for the agricultural sector in order to ensure national ownership and sustainability will be key in this respect.
For more information please contact:
Mustapha Ceesay AFAOR:Programme
This news release was issued by the FAO Gambia Office.
FAO Representation in the Gambia
10th Street East, “M” Section
Fajara, PMB10,
Banjul, The Gambia
Tel: +220 4498034
Fax: +220 4498036
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