[{"bbox": [97, 91, 1134, 172], "category": "Text", "text": "diversity. Low intake of nutritious foods is particularly detrimental for children, who are mainly fed high-carbohydrate foods such as millet or corn flour porridge. The childcare situation is particularly difficult for households during the lean season (July–September) when food stocks are depleted."}, {"bbox": [97, 197, 295, 223], "category": "Section-header", "text": "## Stakeholder Analysis"}, {"bbox": [97, 249, 1134, 596], "category": "Text", "text": "There are very few large companies operating in the Gambian horticultural value chain. In the early stages of the value chain, public actors provide extension services while inputs are primarily imported. At the production stage, only three farms operate at commercial scale and communal gardens and small-scale farms dominate the rest of production. The few commercial farms have farm sizes between 40 to over 100ha. Although less than 10 enterprises are under this category, they are responsible for supplying over 90% of total horticultural exports. Vegetable crops grown include Hot pepper (Chilies); Green French beans, Okra, Baby corn, Squash; Butternut, and Eggplant. Typically, they employ capital-intensive means of production with modern farming tools, machinery, and equipment as the farm sizes are relatively large and have sprinkler or drip irrigation systems. These farms (i) are often vertically integrated with their customers and are close to the market, react to market demand, and can organize production accordingly, (ii) have a high level of professionalism in production by the mastering of the agronomy and post-harvest handling of all crops of interest, (iii) outsource from smaller growers through contract farming for export purposes, (iv) make substantial investment and fund further developments and (v) have good leadership and business management skills."}, {"bbox": [97, 620, 1134, 835], "category": "Text", "text": "Post-harvest actors are fragmented and the processing market is still nascent, with some new businesses expected to come online in the next year. Marketing activities are limited to logistics, with no additional effort in packaging and labelling. At the production level, smallholder farmers - the majority of whom are women - are the primary drivers of horticulture in The Gambia. 65% of the agricultural workforce - over 100,000 farmers - in The Gambia grow horticultural products. The average yearly income of Gambian horticultural farmers is USD 600, yet this income is primarily earned through the sales of cash crops grown in parallel to fruits and vegetables. Because horticulture production is culturally a woman-dominated activity (women represent 75% of horticulture farmers), the sector plays a particularly important role in the employment of women."}, {"bbox": [97, 859, 1134, 1126], "category": "Text", "text": "Communal Vegetable Garden producers have organized themselves into six marketing federations (one in each agricultural region) and an apex body. i. Fangsoto (West Coast Region) ii. Khewal (Central River Region – North) iii. Nematulai (Upper River Region) iv. Sofaniama (Lower River Region) v. Fangkaso (Central River Region – South) vi. Solicita (North Bank Region) vii. Sosolaso (National Apex Body) These federations can potentially play many useful roles such as representing the voice of horticulture farmers in policy circles, assisting farmers to collectively bargain to purchase critical inputs such as fertilizers, pesticides, seeds and collectively market their produce; iii. Conducting training, especially on good agronomic practices, and business development; iv. Advocating to improve access to finance; and v. Linking producers with exporters and other buyers. These organizations can also be building blocks for the setting of agriculture cluster models as a way to modernize and catalyse production."}, {"bbox": [97, 1178, 1065, 1233], "category": "Section-header", "text": "## Identification of main stakeholders (duty bearers and right holders) and corresponding institutional and/or organisational issues (mandates, potential roles, and capacities) to be covered by the action:"}, {"bbox": [97, 1258, 1134, 1393], "category": "Text", "text": "**Duty bearers:** Key public sector stakeholders are Gambian institutions, at national level: Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Natural Resources, Ministry of Trade, and relevant agencies; and at regional and local levels: Local Government Area Councils. Ministry of Women's Affairs, the National Women's Council (with representation from different ministries including agriculture as well as local authorities, civil society, private sector, and religious groupings)"}, {"bbox": [97, 1417, 1134, 1472], "category": "Text", "text": "**Right holders:** Within civil society, there are CBOs, CSOs and business and farmer organisations and rural communities in general."}, {"bbox": [97, 1496, 1134, 1577], "category": "Text", "text": "Key stakeholders within the private sector are MSMEs - commercial companies, providing financial products and/or physical inputs and other services, such as contract farming, value addition, marketing and transport along agricultural value chains."}, {"bbox": [1027, 1681, 1143, 1707], "category": "Page-footer", "text": "Page 10 of 30"}]