Agriculture and natural resources (ANR) Policy (2017-2026).

The Agriculture and natural resources (ANR) Policy is a national multi sectoral Policy of the Gambia for the period 2017-2026. Its vision is the creation of a marketed-led commercialized, efficient, competitive and dynamic ANR sector in the context of sustainable development. Within this frame, the Policy will be guided by the attainment of the over-arching objective of maximization of poverty reduction and enhancement of food, income and nutrition securities through the optimal utilization of the resources of the sector consistent with safeguarding the integrity of the environment.
The underpinning and specific objectives of the ANR Policy, consistent with market driven growth of the economy, are embodied by the projections of value-added, production, employment, factor productivities, local raw materials utilization rate and sources of growth of output. The structural transformation and rationalization of activities in the sub-sectors will be the main mechanisms for change. In specific terms, the objectives of the 2017 – 2026 ANR Policy are: 1. To achieve higher level of production and productivity of primary commodities through rehabilitation, intensification and expansion of ANR production systems and processes; 2. To enhance higher level of expansion and development of the food industry sub-sector; 3. To achieve wider and more effective participation and representation of subsistence farmers/operators especially women and youths in modern and commercial production, agribusiness and trade; 4. To achieve a balanced development between the ANR sector and other sectors of the economy; and, 5. To enhance the economic and structural integration of the ANR sector with the rest of the economy especially, manufacturing, tourism and hotel industries.
The many constraints againsts the realization of 2017/2026 ANR policy objectives (lack of water supply, inadequate supply and availability of essential production inputs; low productive enterprise opportunities and lack of adequate ANR incentive schemes, paucity of skilled man power, inadequate infrastructure causing post-harvest losses and scarcity of ANR products, unsatisfactory land tenure system making productive land inaccessible to potential users, limited arable land due to high demographic growth and rapid urbanization), will be mitigated through the resolution of four key strategic policy issues: 1) the strategies; 2) the sub sectoral/enterprise policies; 3) the downstream development; 4) a supportive infrastructure.
With regards to the first key strategic policy, the realization of the underlying growth and developmental objectives of the over-arching objective of the ANR Policy (to sustain the ANR growth) will be pursued through eight strategies: 1- the optimization of the use of its resources of land, labour, capital and entrepreneurial/management; 2- the integration of the sector with manufacturing (using raw materials like rice, coarse grains, fruits, vegetables and fish); 3- the R&D technological advancement and technical changes to overcome the production process, labour and other factor constraints; 4- the use of substantial investments and technological resources from the private sector of both local and foreign investors to transform the ANR sector into a competitive and efficient sector; 5- the creation of an efficient market strategy to foster the entry into international market and to emphasize product competitiveness and user orientation; 6- the expansion of food production for import substitution, domestic demand and export market as an opportunity for increasing output and income in the ANR sector; 7- the human resources development to achieve increased productivity; 8- self-help, self-improvement and attitudinal change to strenghten active participation of farmers’/fishermen’s associations and agro-based cooperatives in the modernization process of ANR development.
With regard to the key strategic policy 2 (the sub sectoral/enterprise policies),there are four main macroeconomic policy instruments through which government exerts significant influence on the agricultural production environment. These are Price Support; Marketing; Input Supply; Credit.
As for the downstream development (key strategic policy 3), the integration of ANR sector with manufacturing sector is considered to be instrumental in creating a balanced inter-sectoral growth as the country moves towards becoming an industrialized country.
Finally, with regards to startegic point 4, to achieve the desired level of transformation of the ANR sector on sustainable basis within the fore-seeable time horizon of 2026 this policy will pay special attention to improved supportive infrastructures through incentive schemes; research and development; extension services; agriculture credit/finance; and, marketing policy.