In light of the prevailing challenges induced by the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, the agricultural sector in The Gambia is confronted with significant hurdles. Escalating prices of key agricultural inputs, such as fertilizers and fuel, have mounted, creating a pressing need for mitigating measures. The soaring costs of goods and services have necessitated urgent interventions to safeguard the livelihoods of local farmers.
To address these challenges, the ROOTS project has received a Grant of $2.76 million from IFAD, through its Crisis Response Initiative (CRI) program. The duration of the CRI is six months (January – June 2024) and focuses on four pillars:
1. providing inputs for small-scale farmers,
2. supporting essential infrastructure,
3. facilitating access to finance, and
4. investing in capacity building to enhance market access.
Call for Expression of Interest:
To minimize post-harvest losses as well as catalyze production, the ROOTS Project intends to utilize part of the CRI funds to partner with farmer organizations for the establishment of Onion Curing facilities in any of the six agricultural regions of the country. To this effect, the ROOTS Project invites expressions of interest from farmer organizations and related entities, especially those actively working with smallholder farmers.
Interested farmer organizations will be required to provide suitable land (with proof of tenure) for the construction of the facility and will be required to offset 10% of the total cost of the facility (this includes the value of the land contribution).
The envisioned facilities aim to empower local producers, reduce post-harvest losses, and contribute to the development objective of the ROOTS project.
