| dbo:abstract |
Agriculture makes up a significant proportion of the Gambia's economy, comprising 25% of its GDP. About 75% of workers in the Gambia are employed within the agricultural industry. The main cash crops produced in the country are groundnuts (also known as peanuts), millet, sorghum, mangoes, corn, sesame, palm kernel, and cashews. The main staple crop produced is rice. Though agriculture is a major part of the Gambia’s economy, food insecurity is still an issue for the population. Crop outputs only supply about 50% of the population’s food needs due to low crop yields. The population heavily relies on rice, needing 398,364 metric tons each year. The Gambia only produces about 22,706 metric tons of rice each year. As a result, it needs to import around 80-90% of its rice each year. Although around 45% of land in the Gambia is used for groundnut farming, a majority of groundnuts produced are exported, further contributing to food insecurity. Climate change is also impacting agriculture in the Gambia. Crop yields are impacted by rising temperatures and seasonal drought. Salt water is mixing with freshwater in the River Gambia due to rising sea levels, causing salt erosion in rice crop fields. Land development is also not abundant. Some experts have proposed addressing these issues with crop yields by developing strong irrigation systems, which they note could be supplied through rainwater, the River Gambia, and underground water. (en) |
| rdfs:comment |
Agriculture makes up a significant proportion of the Gambia's economy, comprising 25% of its GDP. About 75% of workers in the Gambia are employed within the agricultural industry. The main cash crops produced in the country are groundnuts (also known as peanuts), millet, sorghum, mangoes, corn, sesame, palm kernel, and cashews. The main staple crop produced is rice. (en) |
