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From November 4 to 12, 2024, a supervision mission for the Gambia Inclusive Rural Agricultural Value Chains Project (GIRAV) took place in The Gambia, bringing together a delegation from CORAF, representatives from the World Bank, and the project's implementing partners. The aim of the mission was to assess the progress made in implementing the project, and to define the actions needed to strengthen the resilience of agri-food systems in the country.

The mission began with an introductory meeting between the ISM (Implementation Support Mission) team and CPCU/GIRAV staff. This meeting served to clarify the mission objectives and finalize the program of activities. Among the highlights of the day, the team had the honor of paying a courtesy call on the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and the Ministry of Finance and Economy.

On the same day, the mission attended the official launch of the E-Extension Platform, led by the Department of Agriculture (DOA), as well as the official handover of the Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture's (GCCI) digital information system, marking an important step forward in the digitization of the agricultural sector.

A joint session between the GIRAV project team, the implementing partners and the ISM team also took place at the CPCU conference room in Banjul. Chaired by Aifa Fatimata Niane Ndoye, ISM Team Leader and GIRAV Project Manager, the session aimed to review progress in implementing the project's 2024 work plan. 

On November 5, discussions continued with implementation partners on the various components of the project. The first component, dedicated to improving the business environment for the development of commercial agriculture, provided an opportunity to review the actions of GCCI, GiEPA, NACOFAG and DOA. Discussions also focused on building a productive and climate-resilient agri-food system, with a focus on activities implemented by implementing partners such as the Direction de l'Agriculture, NARI, CORAF and NSS.

Particular attention was paid to activities relating to Matching Grants and the mobilization of private investment along agricultural value chains.

The days from November 6 to 8 were devoted to field visits to various regions of The Gambia, enabling the team to see at first hand the activities implemented by the project and to exchange views with the various beneficiaries. Visits were made to Brikama, Farafenni and Basse, where groups of young producers and SME beneficiaries of the GIRAV project presented their achievements. One of the highlights of these visits was the meeting with Alkalo Lang Manjang, a model rice farmer from Kwinella Nyakunda, who thanks to the support of the GIRAV project, has seen his rice production soar and has become a source of inspiration for other producers to follow his example.

At the end of the mission, the various stakeholders reaffirmed their commitment to continuing efforts to build the capacity of farmers and young agricultural entrepreneurs, particularly in promising value chains such as rice, maize, poultry and cashew nuts. This supervision mission testifies to the fruitful collaboration between CORAF, the World Bank, the Gambian government and local partners, with the common objective of promoting sustainable and inclusive agriculture in The Gambia.