By Haruna Kuyateh
The Gambia Inclusive Resilience Agricultural Value Chain Development Project (GIRAV), under the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Livestock, is supporting farmers to enhance food production through dry season maize and groundnut cultivation.
The initiative, implemented through a matching grant scheme, is helping to improve productivity and strengthen food security among rural communities.
Alhaji Modou Touray, a renowned farmer and beneficiary of the GIRAV matching grant, told VOICE on Thursday that he has cultivated a quarter hectare of high-yield maize and groundnuts during the dry season at Maka Farafenni in Upper Badibou.
He said the crops are nearing harvest, attributing his success to innovative technologies introduced by the GIRAV project.
“The use of modern irrigation systems, particularly water sprinklers, has greatly strengthened our capacity as small-scale farmers to increase and diversify food production and income,” Touray said.
He noted that the sprinkler irrigation system has reduced labour demands while improving efficiency on the farm.
Touray commended the GIRAV project for its foresight and continued support, which he said has significantly contributed to improved agricultural productivity in the community.
According to him, the provision of improved seeds, fertiliser and access to tractors has boosted maize production and enhanced food and nutrition security in Maka Farafenni.
He called on agricultural development projects to scale up support for farmers through the provision of innovative technologies, including additional boreholes and irrigation systems, to promote year-round farming.
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