In Garawol, a farming community in Kantora District of The Gambia’s Upper River Region, rice farming has been transformed through the ROOTS Subsidized Rice Input Support Program.
After three years of support ranging from ploughing services to fertilizer and herbicides Garawol has become self-sufficient in rice seeds and largely food secure, with many households feeding themselves for up to 10 months from their own harvests.
The community has also purchased two rice threshers and earned income from threshing services. As Garawol now graduates from the subsidy program, farmers plan to invest in a combined harvester and tricycles for transport.
Farmer Alhagie Basireh Ceesay says ROOTS “revived rice farming” in Garawol, allowing families to rely on their own production rather than imported rice.
Garawol’s success stands as a model of community empowerment through targeted agricultural support.
