Case Study 1
Upland Rice Expansion Project in The Gambia
The Upland Rice Expansion Project in The Gambia
was implemented at the explicit request of Gambian
authorities. Building upon our previous Doubling Rice
Yield within Five Years Project, this project drew on
Taiwan’s comparative advantages in agriculture and
associated technologies. The overall aim of the project,
which ran for four years from 2009 to 2012, was to
reclaim 32,000 hectares of land for the cultivation of
upland rice. The project’s specific objectives were to
raise upland rice yields to 2.2 tons per hectare, provide
workshops and training courses and establish standard
operating practices for the cultivation of upland rice. The
effectiveness of the project was ensured by conducting
annual production surveys.
In keeping with the principle of ownership, this project
involved cooperation from the Taiwan Technical Mission in
The Gambia, the Gambian Ministry of Agriculture and six
provincial offices, as well as local research stations with
the National Agricultural Research Institute. All told, around
200 Gambians were involved in project implementation.
A mission leader and three technicians from the Taiwan
Technical Mission assisted with the project, which guided
participants to use better rice varieties and improve
growing techniques. Overall, rice production increased
and the project had a deep effect on both the government
and civil society.
Building Self-reliance and Working toward
Sustainability
Taiwanese personnel from the local technical mission
were responsible for coordinating all of the operations
on the Gambian side. The staff worked with Gambian
participants to achieve the hoped-for expansion of upland
rice coverage, improve rice yield per hectare and build the
skills and abilities of farming organizations. Specific tasks
included: creating the project’s annual work plan, liaising
with relevant organizations, assisting in the deployment
of project materials, handling relevant training work and
ensuring that our collaborators’ work was progressing
smoothly. Gambian authorities directed the funding
they received to training and subsidies for agricultural
machinery for farmers’ organizations. This provided a
good incentive for Gambian farmers to work on improving
the cultivation of upland rice, thus raising the country’s
self-sufficiency in rice production. We will also provide
continued guidance and annual monitoring of yields by
area to help the project become sustainable.
Objective in Sight: Far-reaching Impact on Upland
Rice Cultivation in The Gambia
Under the guidance of the Taiwan Technical Mission,
this project has significantly expanded the coverage
of upland rice production in The Gambia beyond
the 32,000 hectares in the original plan. Despite a
noticeable decrease in the stability of the local weather,
most likely due to climate change, the project yielded
approximately 30,000 tons of grain. In terms of the
overall implementation of the project, we successfully
established distribution mechanisms for agricultural
materials and set up training programs for extension
officers. The contributions of local farmers and the
benefits they gained from the project have both exceeded
expectations. After four years, the project trained roughly
38,000 farmers of around 67,000 farmers participating
in the project. Overall, the project reached as many as
170,000 beneficiaries.
The project has had a profound impact on upland rice
cultivation in The Gambia having already reclaimed roughly
22,000 hectares for the production of rice seed. With
the Gambian government having expressed a hope that
Taiwan can continue to provide technical assistance, we
have offered to extend the operations of the Upland Rice
Expansion Project through the Upland Rice Consolidation
Project, scheduled to run from 2013 to 2017. This will
build upon the outcomes of the present four-year project
by continuing to elevate The Gambia’s currently low
self-sufficiency in food production. It will also stabilize
upland rice production and move the country toward
the vision of Gambian authorities to become a rice seed
supply hub in the sub-region of West Africa.
Farmers participating in the Upland Rice Expansion Project in The Gambia
gather at rice production demonstration fields to take part in the first phase
of transplanting activities.
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