Improved Maize Varieties: Enhancing Food Security in Rural Communities of Central River Region North

Abstract

Maize production is widely grown by smallholder farmers in rural communities of the Gambia. Maize is an important component of food systems as it provides nutritional security, and income and reduces poverty at the household level. Primary and secondary data were collected to have a broader knowledge of maize varieties. The sample and sampling method was non-probability using the random sampling method. A sample size of twenty (20) farmers was randomly selected from a population of 117 from 5 agricultural districts of the Central River Region/ North. The objective of the study is to bridge the yield gap of 1.0 to 1.3 tons/ ha to > 5 tons/ ha of maize. The result in Table 1 shows that, out of the 4 varieties Kabamano obtained the highest yield data of 6,560 kg/ha followed by Obatamba at 5,440kg/ha while the lowest yield was obtained by early Thai at 3,200kg/ha. The production area was 113 ha with a total production of 340,800kg with an average yield of 3 tons/ha. The implication of the study is to ensure a comprehensive agricultural policy and strategies for better production and marketing of maize. The study recommends that the government, agricultural projects, the private sector, and CSOs create incentives, innovations, and agricultural financing for the coherent sustainability of maize production and marketing.