Written by: The Fatu Network Newsdesk
President Adama Barrow has launched three new agricultural initiatives aimed at strengthening The Gambia’s food systems, improving climate resilience, and expanding access to agricultural finance, according to a statement issued Tuesday by the State House.
The initiatives—the REWARD-Gambia Programme, the P2-P2RS Sahel Resilience Initiative, and the Gambia Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending Establishment Project (GAMIRSAL)—are expected to roll out nationwide.
“In recognition of agriculture as the backbone of the nation’s economy and key to ending poverty and hunger, His Excellency President Adama Barrow today launched three transformative agricultural projects,” the presidency stated.
The REWARD-Gambia Programme seeks to introduce modern irrigation infrastructure, improved seed systems, mechanisation services, and market access through private sector-led integrated rice production clusters. The project is expected to directly target 8,000 households and reach over 120,000 indirect beneficiaries across the seven agricultural regions.
The P2-P2RS Sahel Resilience Initiative will support interventions in 19 districts through the rehabilitation of gardens and rice fields, provision of agricultural machinery, and distribution of climate-resilient seeds, fertiliser, small ruminants, and poultry. The programme targets 67,200 vulnerable Gambian households, both directly and indirectly.
The third project, GAMIRSAL, aims to improve agricultural financing by providing access to credit through a national risk-sharing system. According to the government, it is expected to reach 5,000 direct and 20,000 indirect beneficiaries.
The statement noted that all three projects are designed to ensure that at least 50 percent of their beneficiaries are women and youth, in an effort to promote inclusive participation in agricultural production.
The Barrow administration has identified agriculture as a central pillar of its development agenda, with the newly launched projects forming part of broader efforts to reduce poverty and enhance national food security in the face of climate challenges.
