The GIRAV intervention they said has immensely improved agric production and productivity, thus enhancing national food and nutrition security.
Beneficiary farmers made these assertions recently during a media field visit to GIRAV intervention sites organised by the Communications unit of the GIRAV Project.
During the nationwide field visit, the media team visited project beneficiaries and regional agriculture officials in the Lower River and West Coast Regions.
The five-year project has been providing certified climate smart seeds and other inputs such as fertilizer subsidy to reduce production cost on farmers, while also providing grants to small and medium enterprises through its matching grant component.
The intervention, according to farmers and extension workers, who were visited by the project's communications officer and GRTS, has immensely improved production and productivity.
On visit at Sare Jama in Jarra Central, a renowned farmer in Kwinella, Lamin Manjang said with the rice fields in Kiang Karantaba and other sites, beneficiaries expect high yields and bumper harvest in current cropping season courtesy of the GIRAV Project.
One of the components of the GIRAV Project focuses on strengthening production capacity, creating opportunities for complementary private sector-led investments in agribusiness, and developind of agricultural small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
The intervention is expected to directly benefit tens of thousands of farmers and at least 19 SMEs.
Muhammed Jawara, Chief Executive Officer of Jikay Farms located in Toubakuta in the West Coast Region, said he received a grant amounting to over eighteen million dalasis.
Other farmers the team visited were unanimous in their praise for the Gambia government, GIRAV and the World Bank for subsidising the price of fertilizer and making it accessible to local farmers.
At Sintet in the Foni Jarrol District, the community under the leadership of Alkalo Lamin Badjie and Chief Ebrima Solo Sanyang are helping farmers to reduce damages caused by stray animals in farms and rice fields.
“Any animal caught in a field, the owner will be fined and the sum is paid to the owner of the farm.”
Alhagie Mustapha Drammeh, regional Agriculture Director for West Coast Region, equally hailed the impact of GIRAV on the provision of extension services to farmers and the development of the agriculture sector at large.
During the visit, one issue that stood in terms of needs was the lack of machines such as tractors, combine harvesters and threshing machines as well as the impact of salinity on farm lands.
Thus, they appealed to government and the World Bank through the GIRAV Project to come to their rescue.
