Gambia: Seeds and Fertilizer Key to Food Security
Farmers in the Gambia have constantly informed Farmers’ Eye that the major obstacles to food self-sufficiency in the Gambia are the erratic rainfall, the inadequate seeds and the un-affordability of fertilizer. However, the study report on the implication of the 2011-2012 crop failure carried out by Action-aid indicated that the heavy dependence on rain-fed agriculture means that agricultural production is subject to the climatic vagaries beyond human control and that for this reason, The Gambia, along with the rest of the Sahel region has experienced periodic crop failures, occasioned by inadequate rainfall.
The report went on to show that the challenge posed by the over-dependence on rain-fed agriculture is compounded by the limited use of irrigation in the country and that the percentage of arable land under irrigation has been estimated to range from 3 percent to 6 percent.
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