Gambia - Rice Value Chain Transformation Programme (RVCP)

The Rice Value Chain Transformation Programme (RVCP) is an investment operation financed with ADF grant with an initial phase which aims to up-scale production, productivity, value addition and reducing imports of rice in Gambia. The project will provide opportunities to capitalize on the Bank’s experience leveraging the private sector in agricultural value chains and on the experience of past projects (Multi NERICA Rice Dissemination Project and Livestock and Horticulture Development Project-LHDP) and ongoing operations such as the Food and Agriculture Sector Project (FASDEP) and the Agricultural Value Development Project (AVCDP). The RVCP will make use of opportunities (existence of markets, rice processing plants, prepared land (developed under the FASDEP) to increase the production and productivity of rice within the rice consolidated regions. It will rationalize the existing various rice varieties in the Country to promote 2 rice quality seed varieties producing mechanism under the NERICA project while mitigating potential risks along the rice value chain in the context of the Vision 2020 agenda. The Project has 3 components: (1) Production and Productivity Enhancement, (2) Agribusiness, Market and Capacity Development, and (3) Project Management. The first phase will be implemented over a period of five –years (2019-2023) with interventions predominantly in the Central River Region (CRR North and South) and the Upper River Region (URR), nonetheless, some value addition activities (processing, packaging and distribution) will be undertaken in other regions of the country, where such facilities exist. Subsequent phases will build on lessons learnt from the first phase and will utilize the interventions from the Islamic development Bank, from the country’s ADF 15 allocation.