Investing in agricultural value chains for youth empowerment!

The Gambia Pilot Program (GPP)

Is a new initiative offering grant investments to contribute to the sustainable development of The Gambia through the creation of new employment and income opportunities, especially for the youth. The Project is a collaboration between the Government of The Gambia and Germany Financial Cooperation, through KfW, under the ECOWAS Regional Stabilization Fund, and GAMWORKS has been entrusted to execute the project with implementation support from PEM CONSULT.

The Project aims to finance basic infrastructure and equipment, and skills development along the selected value chains of horticulture, poultry and fishery in target regions of URR, LRR, as well as GBA.

Horticulture

The goal is to establish a link between the local horticulture production and the still growing hotel industry (backward linkages between agriculture and tourism).To boost horticulture production (vegetables and fruits), the program will invest in small-scale irrigation schemes (boreholes with solar panels, water tanks, distribution systems for drip irrigation), fencing, small storage facilities, latrines, etc. on the sites of existing horticulture gardens.

Value-addition will be promoted through investments in larger storage facilities (especially cold storage) and processing and marketing infrastructure and equipment (processing machines, packaging equipment, cold storage tricycles/ trucks, etc.). This infrastructure will be realized by attracting private investors through a matching grant scheme.

 

Poultry

To increase poultry production, the program will invest in the multiplication of production sites (mainly broilers). This will include the financing of poultry houses and the provision of starter-kits (feed, chicks, medication, etc.). The individual production sites should accommodate at least 500 broilers (preferably more) to be profitable.

The goal is to set up poultry producers in regional ‘clusters’ and to link them with private investors in processing and marketing who facilitate access to local markets and the hotels (and possibly also access to credit).

Value addition will also be promoted by financing cold storage facilities and processing and marketing infrastructure and equipment (processing machines, packaging equipment, cold storage tricycles/ trucks, etc.).

 

 

Fishery

The value chain for marine fisheries is already relatively well-established, yet there is considerable potential for promoting youth employment through additional investments in improved storage and processing facilities. The aquaculture value chains remain underdeveloped throughout the country despite high demand for fresh and smoked fish in the hinterland regions. Production-level investments will be confined to aquaculture. Here, the main focus will be on the creation and multiplication of fish pond schemes. This will include the financing of the fish pond infrastructure and the provision of starter-kits (feed, fishing, medication, etc.). In aquaculture, it is equally foreseen to finance storage, processing (in particular fish-smoking) and marketing infrastructure and equipment.

In the coastal areas, the focus will be on the provision of cold storage facilities at landing sites and fish processing infrastructure and equipment (fish smoking houses equipped with improved technologies).

The Gambia Pilot Program.

Gambia Pilot Program (GPP) is a 10 million Euro partnership project initiated by the Governments of The Gambia and German Financial Cooperation, through KfW, to boost agricultural competitiveness and create employment opportunities and increased income, especially for youth, women and vulnerable groups like returnees.

Contact

Bertil Harding Highway P O Box 2640, Serrekunda, The Gambia, West Africa
Phone: +220 2910361

Follow Us

Subscribe to Our Newsletter