Agricultural Services Project

Agriculture Services Project

The Central River Division is one of the poorest in the country, and malnutrition among children is higher there than anywhere else in the Gambia. IFAD invested in a project in the division with the objective of increasing agricultural production and household incomes, within a framework of policy and institutional issues. IFAD funds supported grass-roots initiatives. The project built on past efforts to generate improved technologies and to support participation by smallholders, particularly women, in the management of their own productive activities. Improved extension services and expanded pilot operations of village savings and credit groups were to serve as a basis for future development of rural financial services.

The project worked towards increasing smallholders’ incomes and food security by supporting agriculture and related off-farm activities. One of its aims was to develop and test a production system that responds to the needs of poor smallholders and women, through demand-driven extension and research. By strengthening rural finance capabilities, the project worked to support eventual links between formal and informal finance. Another aim was to promote environmentally sound production systems that preserve the natural resource base, specifically land and water resources.

Source: IFAD