Unlocking the Potentials of Vegetable Production and Marketing of Kumbaney Women Vegetable Producers in Central River Region South of the Gambia

Abstract

The Government entirely depends on agriculture for its socio-economic development of horticulture in which maximum attention to improve on food and nutritional security. The women and youths do participate in vegetable production and marketing as their main source of income in order to improve on their lives and livelihood. The new paradigm of vegetable production is modern market-oriented and commercialize agriculture. The sample and sampling method was non-probability using the purposive sampling method of data collection. A checklist questionnaire developed for the data collection mainly on yield, price and income. The women producers encounter numerous production challenges such as poor quality seeds, inadequate production technologies and access to markets. The objective of the research findings is to evaluate the cost-benefits analysis. The result shows that, out of 2,500 kg of onion, equivalent to125 bags/20 kg were sold at D500/bag with a total cash income of D62, 500 followed by tomato with an amount of D30, 175 and D21, 850 for cabbage respectively. In conclusion, vegetable production in the rural community of Kumbaney brought immense changes in their lives and livelihood, as they solve most of their domestic engagements at household level. Therefore, recommending to the government to formulate and design bankable horticulture policies and strategies that would have impact on the lives and livelihood of women producers.