Food
and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations and the Ministry of
Agriculture and partners, Wednesday validated the National Horticulture
Strategy (2020-2024).
The
Strategy, aligned to the National Development Plan goal aims to accelerate and
sustain the development of Gambia’s horticulture sector in order to achieve
food security, reduce poverty, create employment, generate wealth through
domestic and external trade, and contribute to the socio-economic development
and transformation of the country.
Momodou
Mbye Jabang, permanent secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture said to realise
the potential of horticulture, the government has formulated a long-term
horticulture master plan to complement the efforts enshrined in the Gambia
National Development Plan (NDP) 2018-2021.
“Under
the third pillar of the NDP, the implementation targets horticulture as a key
sub-sector for value chain development and envisages the promotion of fruits
and vegetables whose potential for import substitution will be harnessed and
promoted to expand their export and marketing. In turn, this will provide the
opportunity to broaden and accelerate agro-industries and maximise agriculture
value addition,” he stated.
Mr
Jabang further stated that the horticulture master plan that was developed in
2015 provides a long-term roadmap, but a strategy was required to factor in new
developments and accelerate the growth of the sector by focusing on the medium
term of five years (2020-2024). He said the context under which the master plan
was developed has changed significantly since 2016, and there is a need for
strategy that capitalises on the changed context.
“This
national horticulture sector strategy builds upon the horticulture master plan,
but takes into account the realities of a new Gambia to ensure that the growth
and competitiveness of the industry is catalysed in a new market-led approach
and sustained for the future,” he explained.
According
to him, ministry of agriculture in June 2019 requested the Food and Agriculture
Organisation of the United Nations to support the formulation of the 5-year
national horticulture strategy, adding that the strategy has been developed to
support the realisation of Gambia’s national development plan objectives of
modernising agriculture, particularly with regards to promotion of value chain
development in horticulture, in a coordinated and sustained manner.
According
to him, the national horticulture master plan 2015-2030 set a vision to
transform the sub-sector to become sustainable, modernised, diversified, and
export oriented.
Food
and Agriculture Organisation country representative, Moshibudi Rampedi said
validation of the Strategy will enable the government to catalyse the sector
development leading to higher incomes and job creation through inclusive and
efficient production systems with better market links.
“It
will also help the government through diversified production, a reduction in
trade barriers and access to markets, cohesive governance for the development
and implementation of supporting policies, strategies and programmes,” she
added.
She
explained that the draft Strategy was formulated through a participatory
process involving all stakeholders of the agriculture sector at local,
regional, district and national adding levels and the process was supported by
ministries, government departments and the civil society.
Ms.
Rampedi emphasised that the horticulture sector makes important contributions
to farm incomes ensuring food security and nutrition, adding that horticulture
is an important source of foreign exchange earnings for a number of nations
including The Gambia.