Country Representative of the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations, Gabriel Rugalema, has recommended that empowering existing farm cooperatives and establishing more will ensure food security in Sierra Leone.
Rugalema was speaking during the celebration of World Food Security Day on October 18 at the Conference Room of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food Security, where technical expertise of the ministry explained the successes and challenges in the food security drive for the past five years.
The FAO Country rep, said that cooperatives are pivotal to agricultural development and food security, as they stimulate agricultural productivity, enhance employment and boosts the nation’s economy.
Statistically, he maintained, cooperatives provide about one hundred million jobs worldwide and contribute about 1.1 trillion dollars to world economy, as well as creating both internal and external markets.
Therefore, he underscored, the essence of cooperatives in a developing country like Sierra Leone will play a critical role in not only agricultural development but in the growth of the economy as well.
During the two-hour discussion, with questions and answers, it revealed that hunger and its attendant problems such as malnutrition have been bottlenecks in the drive to foster food security in the country.
Knowing the implications this might have on the development of the population, the Chief Agricultural Officer of the Agriculture Ministry, Francis Sankoh, said that the issue of addressing food security has been a long-standing problem for successive governments, and up to date, the country still grapples with it.
However, he said, the present government in its “Agenda for Change” has made major strides in promoting food security initiatives in a bid to combat the prevailing hunger and malnutrition.
Chief Sankoh said that the government had established a total of 650 Agribusiness Centres (ABCs) all over the country, and has provided 210 power tillers, 240 rice threshers, 32 rice dis-stoners among many other agricultural implements considered vital in increasing productivity.
He said that with all these efforts, backed up with ‘serious’ government’s commitment, the country is sure of food security within the coming years, especially when structures put in place would have developed considerably.
In a country where 30% of the population cannot afford their daily bread, Prince Kamara of the Smallholder Commercialization Programme (SCP) said since assumption of office, the government has embarked on vigorous capacity building programmes to strengthen farmer federations across the country in order to increase the production of food crops and ultimately close the gap as mentioned.
He affirmed that Sierra Leone produces thousands of tons of rice but the populace does not experience this production due to smuggling of food commodities in neighbouring countries-Liberia and Guinea.
Kamara said that in their relentless effort to stop the smugglings, considering the fact these farmers look for lucrative areas to sell their goods, hence the rampant smuggling. The government, through the SCP has established 500 Farmer-Based Organisations (FBOs) supported by 193 ABCs in the country, to encourage farmers market their produce in local communities at equally profitable rate. He added that the ABCs are complemented by 354 processing centres to augment 600,000 metric tons at the moment.
By Poindexter Sama
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