The National Agricultural Research Institute was established in 1993, by an act of parliament of the republic of The Gambia. NARI evolved from the department of agricultural research, of the then Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources. Today, NARI is a major component of The Gambian Agricultural Research System (NARS). The institute maintains two main research stations, one in the eastern half of the country at Sapu in Central River Division (CRR) and the other in the western half at Yundum. In addition to these main stations, NARI operates in several satellite research stations countrywide.
ongoing rice research at Sapu Research station
The NARI engages in applied client-oriented and adaptive research in agriculture and natural resources sectors predominantly in crops and livestock systems. The NARI also benefits from an assortment of major scientific results, knowledge and technology borrowing broadly from innovations made in other countries and Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) centers.
Our Mission & Vision
The mission of NARI is to provide technological solutions to the problems of producers and inform policy makers on options to increase agricultural production and productivity by: Conducting applied client oriented and adaptive research in agriculture and natural resources, to inform policy-makers on options to increase agricultural productivity and production without detriment to the natural resource base and to the environment and to study, supervise and control the production of nucleus, foundation and certified seeds of the major seeds grown in the Gambia.
NARI have the vision of improving livelihood of producers and to enhance food security in a sustainable environment with technologies generated through applied and adaptive research in agriculture and natural resources.
Strategic objective
- To contribute to the attainment of national policy objective of ANR and NDP
- Household food and nutrition security, increased producer’s incomes and higher export earnings and to an improved national economy in general.
- This is powered by NDP priority 3 and Climate Change critical enabler number 4