1. AGRIBUSINESS TECHNICAL SERVICES UNIT AGRICUTURE COOPERATIVES WORKSHOP OF OIC MEMBER COUNTRIES AND STUDY VISITS IN TURKEY COUNTRY PRESENTATION – THE GAMBIA BY: ABA GIBRIL SANKAREH DEPUTY DIRECTOR/REGISTRAR OF COOPERATIVES

2. CONTENTS  General status of Agriculture Sector  General profile of agriculture producers  Major Agri-Food Products Produced  Major Agri-Food Traded (imported and exported)  Status of Agriculture Cooperatives

3. LOCATION  The Gambia is a country located in West Africa bordered by Senegal in the North, South & East  The capital city is Banjul  It has an area of 11,300 Sq Km  Its shape is narrow extending from 15-30 km on each side of the banks and 400 km along the River Gambia  The river derives from Futa Djallon highlands in Guinea

4. 4 LOCATION (CONT.) Figure 1. The map of the Gambia (source: http://www.infoplease/com/ipa/a0107560).

5. POPULATION  The population of The Gambia is estimated at 1.857181 million according the 2013 population census  The annual population growth rate is estimated at 3.1% per annum (Source: GBOS)

6. LANGUAGES  English is the official language of the country in which all Government matters are transacted. A number of local languages are spoken, these include: Mandinka (42%) Wollof (16%) Fula (18%) Jola (10%) Serahule (9%) & Others (5%)

7. AGRICULTURE SECTOR PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS:  Vegetation is Guinea Savanna Woodland in coastal area changing into open Sudan Savanna in the east  Topography is largely unvaried consisting of riverine flats and mangrove swamps and savanna woodland with shrub and grass  Climate is Sudano- Sahelian characterized by short dry season from June to October and a long dry spell from October to May

8. AGRICULTRE SECTOR CONT.  Mean annual rainfall varies from 900mm in south- west to about 500mm in the north-east with average of 750mm for the country as a whole  The country is divided into six agricultural regions: West Coast Region (WCR), NBR, LRR, Central River North (CRR-N, Central River South (CRR-S) and Upper River Region (URR)

9. SECTOR STRUCTURE  Characterized by small-scale, subsistence rain fed crop production (mainly g/nuts, coarse grains, rice, cassava, Cashew nuts)  Traditional livestock rearing  Semi-commercial groundnut & horticultural production  Small cotton & large artisanal fisheries sub-sector

10. SECTOR STRUCTURE CONT.  Agricultural output generated by around 69,100 farm households (500,000 people engaged in farming  Cultivating 320,000ha annually or about 57% of total arable land estimated at 558,000ha  3,300ha of land is under irrigation  Men engaged in upland mechanized cropping  Women in rice cultivation and horticulture

11. PROFILE OF PRODUCERS  Groundnut – male dominated (5 -20 ha)  Coarse grains (mz,l&e/m,sorgh.) male (5-20ha)  Rice Swamp – female (5-20ha)  Rice upland – both male &female (5-20ha)  Vegetable – female ( less than 5ha)  Fruits – male (above 20ha)  Sesame – female (less than 5ha)  Livestock – both male & female (5- 300)

12. ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE  Accounts for about 30% of GDP  Provides employment to 75% of the country’s population (500,000 households)  Meet about 50% of the national food requirements  Its share of the country’s total export is 70%  Sole means of income generation for majority of rural households  91% of the extremely poor & 72% of the poor work in agriculture

13. ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE CONT.  Agriculture employs 78% of the women labour force, majority of whom live below poverty line  Therefore, it is regarded as the prime sector for investments to raise income, improve food security and reduce poverty

14. MAJOR AGRI-FOOD PRODUCTS PRODUCED  As stated above, the major crops in The Gambia include groundnut, rice and coarse grains (including sorghum, millet and maize)  Coarse grains are the main food crops throughout the country together with groundnuts ( and to a lesser extent cotton) which are the major cash crops  Sesame, cowpea, cassava and cashew  Horticultural – vegetables and fruits  Livestock and livestock products  Fish and forest products

15. MAJOR AGRI-FOOD PRODUCTS TRADED (IMPORTED&EXPORTED)  Groundnuts (China)  Rice ( Import,Thailand, Viet Nam, India)  Coarse grains (Cross border trade)  Flour ( Import, Turkey)  Cashew nuts ( Export, ECOWAS,India)  Vegetables & fruits (ECOWAS)  Sesame (Export to ECOWAS)  Meat & dairy products (Senegal)  Fish & forest products ( Asia,China)

16. MAJOR AGRI-FOOD PRODUCTS TRADED (IMPORTED&EXPORTED Main domestic exports ( Senegal, Mali & Guinea) Basically as re-exports  Edible fruits  Groundnut products  Fish & fishery products export to Americas  Forest products (wood)- Exports to Americas (US, Peru)

17. STATUS OF AGRICULTURAL COOPERATIVES  The Agribusiness Services Unit is responsible for the regulation of cooperative development in The Gambia through the implementation of the Cooperative societies Act.  It does so by providing regular supervision of societies through audit and inspection, registration of societies and also provide guidance and advice to societies.  Marketing of agric. Goods through market linkages  Facilitate access & distribution of agric. inputs

18. STATUS OF AGRICULTURAL COOPERATIVES HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE:  Cooperatives introduced in The Gambia in the early 1950s  Three types: Agricultural (Largest) Credit Unions Workers cooperatives (self-employed)  Until 1990 provide vital services such as marketing of produce, provision of agricultural inputs and credit for personal & commercial purposes

19. STATUS OF AGRICULTURAL COOPERATIVES CONT.  The Cooperative Produce Marketing Societies (CPMS) are typical examples of state organized and controlled cooperatives.  Liquidation of GCU necessitated reorganization of the primary societies into larger ones to enable them become more economically viable.  In this way, societies were reduced from 82 to 58, and these are the ones used for marketing of groundnuts & other commodities up to date in collaboration with GGC.

20. STATUS OF AGRICULTURAL COOPERATIVES CONT.  With the market liberalization in late 1980s, the movement suffered a major setback  Liquidation of the apex body GCU in 1998 resulted in almost grounding of the agricultural cooperatives  Government of the Gambia has indicated strong commitment to national development to attain food security  Commitment articulated in country’s national policy document principally GNAIP, Vision 2020 & 2016 pronounced by His Excellency the President

21. STATUS OF AGRICULTURAL COOPERATIVES CONT.  Recognizing past achievements of the cooperatives, revitalization as a means to attaining the objectives of Vision 2020,2016 & GNAIP has become a major agenda from the Executive.  The National Assembly summoned a meeting between the Ministry of Agriculture & Assembly’s select Committee on Agriculture at the Assembly building to look into the possibility of reviving the cooperatives

22. STATUS OF AGRICULTURAL COOPERATIVES CONT.  From January to date, 44 cooperatives have been registered through the Office of the Registrar.  Agricultural Projects ( LHDP, MDG 1c, Nema) and Concern Universal, an NGO are registering their groups into cooperatives to realize economic benefits  Also to easily access the inputs required to grow crops and keep livestock & help them process, transport and market their produce.

23. CONCLUSION  In conclusion, agricultural cooperatives contribute to food security by helping small farmers to access the information, tools and services they needed.  This allows them to increase food production, market their goods and create jobs, improve their own livelihoods and increasing food security in the World

24. THANK YOU ABARAKA JEREJEFF NJARAMA NOOWAARI