By Landing Sallah
The Honourable Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Food Security, Dr. Demba Sabally, embarked on a working visit to the Africa Rice Center (AfricaRice) and the African Development Bank (AfDB), underscoring The Gambia’s commitment to accelerating rice self-sufficiency and enhancing national food security.
The visit from 25 to 30 January 2026, focused on strengthening strategic partnerships, aligning policy and research, and mobilizing technical and financial support for the country’s rice sector.
At AfricaRice headquarters, Dr. Sabally engaged in high-level policy discussions chaired by Director General Dr. Baboucarr Manneh. Key areas of discussion included scaling integrated rice production systems such as rice–fish farming, transitioning Africa’s rice sector from planning to large-scale implementation, and ensuring political leadership is aligned with science-based agricultural solutions.
AfricaRice reaffirmed its support for The Gambia through research, technology transfer, and technical expertise. The Gambia was highlighted as a model for rice self-sufficiency in Africa, with the potential to inspire similar initiatives across the continent.
Dr. Sabally also held strategic talks with AfDB, led by Dr. Martin Fregene, Acting Vice President for Agriculture and Director of the Agriculture & Agro-Industry Department. The discussions focused on food security as a national and regional priority, fast-tracking project implementation, addressing climate risks in agriculture, and mobilizing additional resources to close financing gaps in the rice sector.
The Minister expressed gratitude for AfDB’s long-standing support through flagship initiatives such as the Rice Value Chain Development Project, the GAFSP, AEFPF, Fast Track Initiatives, and the REWARD Project. AfDB reaffirmed its strategic role in The Gambia’s rice agenda and highlighted plans to enhance donor coordination, youth employment, and private sector participation in rice value chains.
Updates on the REWARD Gambia Project, which became effective in 2025, showed significant progress. Achievements include recruitment of core project staff, completion of land surveys and design studies, engagement with private sector partners, and planned support for 5,000 hectares of smallholder rice production in 2026.
The visit concluded with agreements to strengthen coordination between policy, research, and financing institutions, update the Rice Master Plan, leverage AfricaRice technologies for national scaling, and prepare additional financing proposals for AfDB consideration. These steps are intended to sustain momentum toward rice self-sufficiency and improve livelihoods for Gambian farmers.
The working visit highlights The Gambia’s dedication to transforming agriculture into a driver of food security, economic growth, and employment, with AfricaRice and AfDB positioned as key partners in this ambitious national agenda.
