Irrigation technology and commercialization of rice in The Gambia: effects on income and nutrition

Abstract

How can technical progress in a crop, and the resulting local growth in marketed surpluses of that crop be designed and complemented so as to improve the chances of African countries to 1) raise the aggregate output of crops, and 2) reduce poverty, improve food consumption, and advance nutrition, especially among vulnerable preschoolers? This study examines such questions in the setting of a major technical improvement in rice production in a West African country. The links between production, income, consumption, and nutrition are explicitly established in an analysis of a new rice irrigation project involving about 7500 farmers in The Gambia. The empirical research is based on a detailed sample survey of 900 farmers in 10 villages. The study implies a set of policy conclusions for improved technology utilization, food security, and nutrition. A more broad-based policy and program emphasis on improvements in rural infrastructure, agricultural input delivery systems, and labor-saving technology for the peak season is called for rather than a focus on a single crop. Measures are also proposed to protect and enhance women's productive role in agriculture. -from Authors