1. The Gambia – Identification of priority exports and matching LDC-specific International Support Measures (ISMs) Peter Lunenborg lunenborg@un.org

2. Priority exports bases on existing strategies and plans – 14 national-level strategies identified – Strategies differ in sectoral focus, actors involved in formulation, process of formulation and level of detail – Priority export = good or service exported directly Excludes inputs for exports (e.g. packaging, enabling services for exports) Excludes products for import substition (e.g. poultry, feed for poultry, cereals, livestock) 1. Cataloguing priority exports

3. Strategy or plan Main government agency/international organization involved in formulation Vision 2020Office of the Gambian President Programme for Accelerated Growth and Employment (PAGE) 2012 -2015 Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs Diagnostic Trade Integration study (DTIS), 2007 version and revised version (2013) Enhanced Integrated Framework (EIF), National Export Strategy (NES) 2013-2017 The Gambia Investment & Export Promotion Agency (GIEPA), Ministry of Trade, Industry,Regional Integration and Employment, National Export Strategy (NES) Committee Gambia Agriculture and Natural Resources (ANR) Policy 2009-2015 Ministry of Agriculture, FAO Gambia National Agricultural Investment Plan (GNAIP) 2011-2015 National Multidisciplinary Taskforce led by the Ministries of Agriculture, Trade Regional Integration and Employment, and Finance), National Agricultural Research Institute (NARI), Department of Agriculture (DOA), private sector and civil society representatives. FAO’s Initiative on Soaring Food Prices (ISFP), Inter- agency assessment andcountry action plan, 2008 (FAO ISFP 2008) FAO Forestry policiesMinistry of Forestry and the Environment, FAO Investment proposals prepared by the Gambia Investment and Export Promotion Agency (GIEPA) GIEPA, Business and Export Development Department National Trade Policy 2011Ministry of Trade,Regional Integration and Employment Gambia’s national submission to Rio+20Department of Water Resources, UNDESA, UNDP Strategic Plan for Fisheries Sector, 2009-2013Department of State for Fisheries

4. Priority exports according to existing strategies and plans (number of times mentioned by the 14 documents under review)

5. Plan/strategy --> NES 2013-2017 DTIS 2007 Revised DTIS (2013) Gambia ANR Policy 2009-2015 GNAIP 2006-2015 National Trade Policy (2011) FAO ISFP 2008 Strategic Plan for Fisheries Sector, 2009- 2013 GIEPA Act 2010 GIEPA Investment Proposals Gambia’s submission to Rio+20 Forestry policies PAGE 2012-2015 Vision 2020 Product / service Groundnuts√√√√√√ Cashew nuts√√√√√ Sesame√√ Cotton√ Cotton seeds√ Fisheries (wild capture)√√√√√√√√ Fisheries – aquaculture (oysters, shrimp) √√√ √√ Horticulture√√√√√√√ Mushrooms, fruits and flowers. √ Mangoes√ Cowpeas √

6. Plan/strategy --> NES 2013-2017 DTIS 2007 Revised DTIS (2013) Gambia ANR Policy 2009- 2015 GNAIP 2006-2015 National Trade Policy (2011) FAO ISFP 2008 Strategic Plan for Fisheries Sector, 2009-2013 GIEPA Act 2010 GIEPA Investment Proposals Gambia’s submission to Rio+20 Forestry policies PAGE 2012-2015 Vision 2020 Manufacturing√√√ √ Forestry products √ √√ Wooden furniture √ Handicraft √ Briquetting (saw dust) √ Tree nurseries √ Honey and derivatives (wax, soap, body cream) √ Petroleum√ √ Air transport√ Offshore financial services √ Tourism√√√ √ √√√ Call centres, Data processing, Disaster Recovery √

7. Inventory of priority exports = 104 products on HS6 level Need for selecting the products where interventions have the most impact Products with a high current export performance and high potential for exports and development impact 2. Analysis of priority exports

8. Current export performance / current importance of export – Consistency of exports between 1998-2011 – Gambia’s world market share in 2011 – Growth rate of Gambia’s exports between 1999- 2000 and 2009-2011 Normalized on linear scale 0-1 2. Analysis of priority exports

9. Potential export performance – World import demand growth 2001-2011 – PRODY – Product technological sophisticaion index (the income potential of exporting a particular product) – Proximity to peanuts Normalized on linear scale 0-1 2. Analysis of priority exports

10. Priority exports for the Gambia Fish and fisheries products Potatoes, fresh or chilled except seed Tomatoes Onions and shallots, fresh or chilled Lettuce, fresh or chilled except cabbage lettuce Aubergines(egg-plants), fresh or chilled Peppers Groundnuts (peanuts), not roasted/othw. cooked, in shell Sesamum seeds Ground-nut oil, fractions, not chemically modified Cotton-seed oil crude Ground-nut oil-cake and other solid residues Beauty/make-up preparations for the care of the skin (based on honey) Soap in other forms Fuel wood Cotton, not carded or combed Furniture, wooden, nes

11. Strengths Access to resources Significant contribution to the socio -economic development of the country Sector supported by donors including FAO, EU, Japan, Italy and Taiwan Existence of Community Fisheries Communities (e.g. Gunjur, Tanji, Bakau) Existence of Gambia Artisanal Fisheries Development Agency (GAMFIDA )which has a scheme to settle disputes and runs a savings & credit programme for fishers Existence of national associations, e.g. Fisheries Post Harvest Operators Platform, TRY Oyster Women’s Association, the National Sole CoManagement Committee (NASCOM), Water Resources Laboratory Relative closeness to European continent Duty Free Quota Free access to EU under Everything But Arms SWOT- fisheries products

12. Weaknesses Irregularity and costs of power. An uninterrupted cold chain is essential for exporting fresh or frozen fish. Lack of compliance with hygienic standards – high rate of refusal by EU and US Infrastructure challenges with fish landing sites across the country Many ships land their fish in Senegal instead of Gambia Prevalence of migratory Senegalese and other non-Gambian fishermen in Gambian waters High interest rates charged and limited access to credit; insufficient funds to buy equipment Post-harvest losses due to lack of storage and refrigeration Majority of Gambians operating inland are part-time fisherfolks/farmers, and hence, do not realize the full benefits of commercial fishing. Lack of knowledge about fish stocks and lack of resources to carry out fish surveys SWOT – fisheries products

13. Opportunities Existing support by donors including EU (e.g. ACP Fish II Programme), WWF (West African Marine Ecoregion(WAMER) project, USAID Development of oyster culture (identified in DTIS) MSC ecolabelling which may command a price premium New value added products, e.g. dried (shredded) cuttlefish Support by European retailers (e.g. Kaufland) EU bilateral fisheries agreements with Senegal and Gambia (currently no protocol in place) SWOT – fisheries products

14. Threats Difficulties in recruiting, training and retaining Gambians in artisanal fisheries Illegal and unreported fishing close or in Gambian waters Sustainability of fishing Inability to substitute wild fishing with aquaculture (e.g. lobsters) SWOT – fisheries products

15. Lack of compliance with hygienic standards – SPS / STDF Illegal, unreported an unregulated fishing – Agreement on Port State Measures to Prevent, Deter and Eliminate IUU fishing TACB to neighbouring countries Sustainability – UN Fish Stocks Agreement Support to participate in fisheries management organizations Support to carry out fish surveys Lack of credit – UN Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) 3. Matching priority exports with ISMs