ABSTRACT

Agriculture is the main driver of The Gambia's economy, employing over 70% of the population. The main traded vegetable crops include onion, pepper, cabbage, eggplant, better tomato (jakato), okra and tomato. The harvest from these crops often pass through many intermediaries/stakeholders with doubtful value additions before the final consumers. This study assesses how stakeholders’ participation could be enhanced in the tomato sector in the Gambia through Gambia Commercial Agricultural Value Management Project (GCAV). The study sought to a) map out the key actor/stakeholders and their role in the tomato value chain, b) identify the determinants of stakeholders’ participation, c) examine the challenges impeding the enhancement of stakeholders’ participation and, d) find out the opportunities or prospects in tomato value chain in the North Bank Region of The Gambia. Multi-stage random sampling technique was used for smallholder tomato farmers. The sample size comprised of 210 smallholder farmers and 21 marketers. Key informants included all the eight agro-input dealers, six transporters, 21 representatives from government institutions. Data were analysed using version 20 of the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). It was presented in the form of, charts and tables. The study revealed that tomato value chain stages in the North Bank Region include input procumbent, production, marketing and consumption. Actors identified under the different stages include input suppliers, producers, marketers (wholesalers and retailers) and consumers. Few participate in transformation of fresh tomato fruits into puree and ketchups by Njawara women processing association. While women constituted a majority of the farmers and marketers. Land, inputs such as fertilizer, are the main determinants of the tomato value chain. Access to markets, low-value addition and climate were identified as significant challenges of the tomato value chain in the region. Opportunities for tomato value chain enhancement include the availability of land for production the booming of agro-inputs dealers in the area, the established infrastructures, such as drip irrigation lines, boreholes powered by solar energy in the GCAV supported gardens. Procurement of inputs (seeds and farming tools) and production have been enhanced by GCAV project. The study recommends to the government to revitalise the marketing cooperatives, and to GCAV to construct or provide appropriate storage facilities in their supported gardens in the North Bank Region of The Gambia. Link farmers to either big buyers, processors or agro- industries operating on the same crop throughout-grower schemes.

Key words: Tomato, Value Chain, Challenges, Prospects.