Promoting Agricultural Value Chains
In the OIC Member Countries
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5.4 The groundnut value chain in the Gambia
The Gambia is characteristic of Africa’s groundnut producing countries. For this agriculture-
based country – agriculture accounts for about 29 percent of GDP and 75 percent of the labour
force – groundnuts is the principal cash crop, accounting for 23 percent of agricultural GDP
(Government of The Gambia (GoTG), 2012) (see also . Approximately 42 percent
of the arable land was devoted to groundnut cultivation in 2012 (GIEPA, 2013). Groundnut
plays a critical role in food security, poverty reduction, and livestock feed.
Despite its importance, groundnut exports have declined since the 1980s, and production
suffers from both low productivity and poor quality. Output levels fluctuate heavily from year
to year . The sector is dominated by small-scale farmers and farming methods are
characterised by low levels of mechanisation, with farmers relying on hand-held tools, draught
power provided by animals, and rain-fed production.
Figure 5-10 Major commodities in the Gambia, average 1993-2013
Source: FAOSTAT, 2015
0
20000
40000
60000
80000
100000
120000
Groundnuts,
with shell
Millet Oil, palm fruit Rice, paddy Maize
Tonnes