Groundnuts are the main export crop and production alterations indicate the changing meaning of cash crops in the national crop sub-sector. Groundnuts is also quantitative the most important crop of the country. It also appears to be the main commercial crop. Swamp rice is the food crop in which the agricultural authorities of the Gambia have directed their efforts in self-sufficiency strategies. Swamp rice is cultivated in the lowland area in opposite to other food crops cultivated in the upland area and competition of land between groundnuts and food crops can be avoided.
Early millet is the main upland subsistence cereal.
The main causes of these trends, and the way the influencing factors interact, will be evaluated through studies both at a national- and a lower geographical scale. The analyse covers the period from 1983 to 1996. The hypotheses are related to the main aim of the study and the problems following this aim in a more concrete manner. The first set of hypotheses focuses on concrete changes in crop production. The second set involves land and labour availability and the tenure systems.