| Summary: | 博士 === 國立屏東科技大學 === 熱帶農業暨國際合作系所 === 98 === The agricultural sector of The Gambia contributes 28% to GDP and 75% of the labor force are engaged in agricultural activities including crop and livestock production (Department of Agricultural Service, 2001). Women are playing an important role in agricultural development and primarily contributing to the local economy for better quality life. The objectives of this research are to assess the income, training needs, problems and solutions for women producers engaged in poultry production enterprise for income generating in Central River Region of The Gambia. Nine women groups engaged in poultry production enterprise were interviewed face-to-face using semi-structured questionnaire. The method was judgmental sampling based on professional experience of extension agents. The target sample were 150 and 128 (85%) of them responded. In terms of age distribution result shows that majority of the women groups were in the age group of 31-40 years (44.5%) and 20-30 years (24.2%). The results clearly indicate that women groups are engaged in poultry production and marketing for commercial reasons. This research found that there were existing problems like production and related business management skills as factors affecting income generating activity. The result shows that, more than 50% of the women groups indicate business management as training needs. Furthermore, the results show problems such as of lack of vaccine, mortality, and low price and Newcastle disease. I conclude that poultry production and marketing enterprise can generate income at the same time playing a meaningful role in poverty reduction of rural Gambia. In addition, women groups need capacity building like trainings, field visits, field demonstrations and meetings. Primarily, access to resources like land, agricultural inputs, credit and saving facilities, financial services and information and communication technology would enhance poultry production and marketing. On the one hand, technological and management aspect of targeting, market, record keeping, profit and loss accounting, and group formation and production management would help the women groups increase their productivity as well as income. The problem of diseases, housing, vaccines, cost of day-old chicks, and markets need to be addressed for a lucrative poultry production and marketing. Above all, the appropriate solution to the problems is capacity building by organizing effective and efficient management techniques to increase productivity and income through training. Therefore, recommending capacity building especially production technologies like control of diseases, farm sanitary measures, feed formulation, and business management skills.
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