BARROW LAUNCHES $68.4M AGRIC PROJECTS
President Adama Barrow yesterday launched three landmark agricultural projects, collectively valued at $68.4 million.
The projects funded by the African Development Bank (AfDB), are part of a strategic effort to strengthen resilience, promote inclusive growth and improve access to finance within The Gambia’s agricultural sector.
The projects are: The Programme to Strengthen Resilience to Food and Nutrition Insecurity in the Sahel (P2P2RS), the Gambia Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending Establishment Project (GAMIRSALEP), and the Regional West Africa Resilience Rice Value Chain Development Project (REWARD).
Implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food Security, these flagship programmes are designed to collectively tackle chronic food insecurity, stimulate agricultural productivity and unlock inclusive financing mechanisms for farmers and agribusinesses.
President Barrow hailed the projects as “transformative blueprints” that reflect his administration’s commitment to achieving national food sovereignty while strengthening rural livelihoods.
“Today marks a major step forward in our journey to reduce our dependence on food imports, and empower our farmers,” the president said,. He added that the projects are not only about producing more food, but also, building resilience, creating jobs and ensuring that agriculture remains a viable and profitable venture for generations to come.
He revealed that the P2-P2RS will cover the NBR, CRR and WCR targeting 67,200 vulnerable Gambian households while the REWARD project will target 8000 households directly and 120,000 indirectly across seven agricultural regions in the country.
“My government recognises agriculture as the backbone of our economy and the key to ending poverty and hunger, through our National Development Plan 2023-2027 and the second-generation National Agricultural Implementation Plan for Food and Nutrition Security 2019-2026,” the president stated.
He assured that the ministry of agriculture through the CPCU will be held accountable for delivering tangible life–changing results for each and every beneficiary. However, he warned that no aspect of these projects should be reduced to mere paperwork.
Hatem Felleh, from AfDB applauded the Gambia for taking a proactive stance on food security and pledged continued technical and financial support.
“The vision of the Gambian agriculture sector is to develop a pathway towards food and nutritional self-sufficiency, poverty reduction, food import substitution and cross–cutting development indicator”.
As The Gambia continues to grapple with the effects of climate change, land degradation and youth unemployment, the successful rollout of these projects is expected to be a game-changer for both economic stability and sustainable development.
Source: The Standard
