FREETOWN, Sierra Leone (PAMACC News) - Sierra Leone has more than 5.4 million hectares of arable land, including bolilands, mangroves, inland valley swamps, and riverine grasslands suitable for growing rice. and other crops. However, the total area cultivated for maize is 7,538 ha, while cassava is cultivated at 155,727 ha.  This puts the total area under cultivation at about 10% of the fertile and diverse lands.

Limitations to domestic production continue to exist principally as a result of insufficient access to quality seeds (owing to the absence of a formal seed system) around which other practices are applied  Although poor access to improved seeds is a prime factor hindering productivity, there are other limiting constraints, which include limited success to fertilizer, pesticides, and mechanization services); low use of improved production technologies, weak institutional and human capacities, and low access to affordable finance.

As a result of these constraints, Sierra Leonean farmers cannot compete in the global market, as they struggle with low crop yield and productivity. Over the last decade, several initiatives have supported the Sierra Leonean seed sector.

The interventions include the rice seed system and cassava Semi Autotrophic Hydroponics infrastructural support by the Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation (TAAT) and the Building an Economically Sustainable Cassava Seed System, Phase 2 (BASICS-II) Project.

Sierra Leone has also received support from the African Development Bank, the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), the World Bank, USAID and other Technical and Financial Partners regarding grants to support the agriculture sector.

Previous interventions in Sierra Leone

Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation (TAAT) intervened in Sierra Leone through its Rice and Cassava Compacts. In 2021/2022, support was provided through the supply of 1.5 tons of breeder and 30 tons of foundation rice seed for further multiplication by the Sierra Leone Agricultural Research Institute (SLARI) and the private sector, respectively.

This support engaged SLARI, the private sector, and the Sierra Leone Seed Certification Agency (SLeSCA) to advance hands-on seed multiplication, quality control practices, and capacity development.

The Sierra Leone Agri-Business Rice Value Chain Support (SLARiS) Project, in partnership with the IsDB- Regional Rice Value Chain Development Project (RRVCDP), distributed the 101.52 tons of certified seed received under the TAAT Rice Compact facilitation to 1,692 farmers.

The paddy yields of these farmers increased by 25−30% compared to farmers who used the local or old varieties, with 2,225,000 Leones as net revenue per hectare. An e-register has been established with 13,851 households and their locations and communities captured.

Through the Special Emergency Assistant Facility (SEAF), TAAT facilitated the delivery of 57 MT of rice seed and 10 mt of maize seed in the 2021/2022 cropping season.

TAAT, through AfDB’s Africa Emergency Food Production Facility (AEFPF), has registered 6,000 beneficiaries, with an anticipated 8,950 beneficiaries in view. The support and supervision missions with AfDB in Sierra Leone have strengthened partnerships with agricultural development stakeholders and seed industry actors. In addition, the seed system has been regularly reviewed, and recommendations have been provided to improve it.

TAAT has rehabilitated and equipped SLARI’s laboratory in Njala, equipped the laboratory with solar power and provided training to staff to maintain the laboratory and to produce cassava seed using the SAH technology. The TAAT Cassava Compact supported the establishment of seed farms in seven communities, demonstrations on good agricultural practices (GAP), and revitalized the processing facilities belonging to community associations processing cassava into gari, high-quality cassava flour (HQCF), and other value-added products.

TAAT has established a register of cassava value chain actors in the country and developed partnerships for scaling cassava technologies.

In the last three years, the Building an Economically Sustainable Cassava Seed System, Phase 2 (BASICS-II) has developed a model that connects actors in the seed value chain, while ensuring that there is a constant supply of improved disease-free varieties to farmers and at the same guaranteeing sustainability and shared economic prosperity among the seed actors. In Nigeria and Tanzania, the BASICS model has led to the establishment of more than 1,000 seed entrepreneurs, doubled cassava yield, and created wealth among cassava farmers. BASICS-II is working closely with SLARI to catalyse the model to the West African nation.

The project built the capacity of SLARI's staff in early-generation seed production and supported resource mobilization for the seed system. At this summit, BASICS-II will leverage its converging power to bring all the critical actors to a round table to help Sierra Leone tap additional financing for its seed sector.

New Interventions facilitated by TAAT in Sierra Leone

For the Africa Emergency Food Production Facility (AEFPF), the national priorities under this initiative are to support the production of improved early-generation (breeder and foundation) seeds by SLARI in collaboration with AfricaRice Centre; support the production and distribution of certified seeds and support seed multiplication centres in Kobia and Kenema, including equipment; rehabilitate two seed varietal maintenance centres; support  Women in Agriculture and Nutrition to expand nutritious food recipes; train lead farmers and technicians on improved farming techniques, and train women farmer associations on improved farming and marketing techniques.

With regards to the Feed Africa Dakar 2 Summit, the Sierra Leone Country Compact with a budget of USD 200 million, estimates that about 1,875 tons of seed rice will be required annually over the period of the compact to cultivate the 30,000 ha. Over the next five years, the Compact will provide about 9,375 tons of seed rice for cultivation, and about 7,500 tons of fertilizer will be required annually, translating into 37,500 tons over a five-year period. The Compact seeks to increase the productivity level of rice to about 3 to 4 t/ha. With up to three cropping cycles possible and increased yield, this investment will add at least 270,000 tons of paddy rice each year, contributing about 15% of the rice consumption requirement in the country.

About 490,000 hectares are available for cassava, and the Sierra Leone Country Compact seeks to increase the national average yield from 17 t/ha to about 25 t/ha. With assistance from TAAT, the Country Compact will pilot 50,000 ha and upscale to cover 100,000 ha of cassava production in 10 districts to process cassava into HQCF and starch.

The Compact will also invest in livestock with more maize and soybean to be processed into livestock feed. The Farm Service Centre (FSC) will provide mechanized services to farmers, and technology transfer will be facilitated using the e-Extension and digital data management system. In addition to these new developments, AfDB, IsDB, USAID, and other donors are investing in new projects with converging objectives of addressing food insecurity and poverty.

The momentum behind the agricultural transformation in Sierra Leone and Africa is at an all-time high. Promoting and adopting improved, climate-smart, and high-yielding varieties and good agronomic practices will usher Africa into a new era of agricultural productivity intended to put the continent on a pathway to food system resilience and prosperity.

The African Development Bank, through TAAT, is accelerating the momentum in addressing transversal issues in African agriculture, improving soil fertility, discovering the untapped potential for improved water management, coordinating and advocating agricultural research initiatives, providing the necessary policy support, attracting African youth in agribusiness, and helping farmers respond to transboundary plant pests and diseases such as Fall Armyworm.

The path to feeding Sierra Leone converges at an interdependent relationship between seed and agronomy. This convergence, if meticulously harmonised with innovative solutions from research alongside support for farmers and public research and extension services, can usher Sierra Leone into an era of food systems resilience and nutrition security.

FREETOWN, Sierra Leone (PAMACC News)The Government of the Republic of Sierra Leone, in collaboration with the for African Agricultural Transformation (TAAT), the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Sahel Consulting, and the Sasakawa Africa Association, will be hosting a National Seed Business Summit from the 18 – 20 September in Freetown, Sierra Leone.

The summit, with the theme, “Building a roadmap for seed sector transformation,” seeks to propel Sierra Leone towards an economically sustainable rice, cassava, maize and soybean seed system. The roll call of speakers at this summit includes Dr. Henry Musa Kpaka, the Sierra Leonean Minister of Agriculture and Food Security Chief Alfred Dixon, Director, Partnerships for Delivery, IITA, Dr Baboucarr Manneh         Director General, Africa Rice Center (AfricaRice) and Dr Martin Fregene, Director, Agriculture and Agro-industry at the African Development Bank.

Others include Dr Nteranya Sanginga, President of the African Leadership Institute (AALI)/Immediate past DG IITA, Dr Lawrence Kent, Senior Program Officer at Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Dr Kenton Dashiell, Deputy Director General, Partnerships for Delivery, IITA and Dr Solomon Gizaw, Head, TAAT Clearinghouse.

According to Dr Solomon Gizaw, “this summit represents a direct response to the need to hold a more comprehensive audience consultation to identify major challenges, develop solutions and advocate for more investments in Sierra Leone’s agriculture.”

“This seed summit will bring together policymakers, international financial institutions and policymakers, scientists, the private sector and farmer organizations to a roundtable discussion to broker investments for Sierra Leonean agricultural transformation with quality inputs, particularly seed as a primary entry point,” Dr Gizaw added.

Dr Gizaw, in a statement issued ahead of the summit, noted that TAAT, being a consortium of 13 International Agricultural Research Institutions and the National Agricultural Research Systems (NARS), brings a wide range of solutions to the major challenges militating against the growth in the agricultural sector.

The summit, according to him, “will elevate the voices of value chain actors impacted by the cassava, maize, and rice seed system by sharing success stories from the global south on increasing the availability of climate-adaptive, improved, and disease-free seed to improve farmers' livelihoods.”

“It will provide the opportunity to share seed development experiences from DRC, Nigeria, Tanzania, etc,. and TAAT’s and BASICS-II value proposition for scaling and replicability to other African countries where cassava, maize, and rice play significant roles in income generation and food security,” he said.

The three-day seed summit, which aspires to catalyse the realisation of the Sierra Leonean Government’s agricultural policy goals through seed sector development, is poised to raise awareness on the role of quality seed in agricultural transformation, share best practices in building sustainable cassava, maize, soybean and rice seed systems and value propositions to achieve the Government goals. 

The summit will equally chart the path for seed sector development guided by a seed roadmap that will boost the supply of quality seeds of climate-resilient and market-preferred varieties to respond to the growing needs for food and industry in Sierra Leone and advocate for more investments in sustainable cassava, maize, soybean and rice seed systems for economic prosperity, including job creation and access to affordable foods. 

“Across the globe, agricultural transformation is driven by three key pillars of seeds, fertilizer and research products. For Sierra Leone to achieve an agricultural revolution, the country must develop a viable formal seed system while not neglecting the role of the provision of inputs and research,” says Chief Alfred Dixon, IITA’s Partnership for Delivery Director and Head of IITA Station in Sierra Leone.

“It is against this background that IITA, TAAT and the Building an Economically Sustainable Cassava Seed System, Phase 2 (BASICS-II) Project have found it necessary to work with the Government of Sierra Leone through the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security and partners to revive the national seed industry as a first and foremost step entry to upscale cutting-edge technologies,” Chief Dixon added.

YAOUNDE, Cameroon )PAMACC News) - Stakeholders have been enjoined to reinforce adaptation policies and actions as pathways against climate change.

The call was made by environment experts at two day workshop to empower youths, women, small-scaled farmers,fath-based groups on climate adaptation policies and actions in Cameroon.

The workshop took place at the Mvolye Church Centre in Yaounde September 12-13, 2023.

Organised by the African Coalition for Sustainable Energy & Access (ACSEA), the workshop seeked to developing participants’ skills to better interact with stakeholders and decision makers therough effective communication, negotiation and advocacy techniques.

According to the CEO of ACSEA, Dr. Augustine Njamnshi, “the workshop was also to strengthen knowledge on processes and policy mechanism related to climate change adaptation at national level.”

“Faith-based organizations, small-scale farmers, youth and women groups often have a strong moral imperative to act on climate change, but they may lack the knowledge and skills to effectively advocate for climate adaptation policies and actions,” Njamnshi added.

The training centered on topics like climate change impact on food systems in Cameroon, Cameroons climate change adaptation and resilence strategies, mapping local climate change impacts and adaptation staregies, climate information and adaptive uses in Cameroon amongst others.

Climate experts say transforming lives means having the right policies in place and the enabling environment for climate investments to yield the right results.

“We need to empower the community on the issues sot hey can question and push government and non-governmental organisations, NGOs,to put in place the right policies. Community actors should be able to know, the problems their communties are facing and to see whether solutions proposed by some NGOs are not flawed” noted Eugene Nforngwa, head of programs ACSEA.

According to the World Bank,Cameroon has an opportunity to turn the climate crisis into an opportunity for a more green and resilient future for all, taking a people centered approach to climate action. The country’s poverty rate could be reduced five-fold by 2050.

Experts say climate change is impacting social and economic gains in the country and and stakeholders must get to work with the right actions to address it.

“Climate change in a reality and we are all living witnesses of its disastrous effects. The floods, landslides, droughts are affecting agriculture, water resources, health and the environment in general. It will take our collective efforts  to get the right solutions to address this crisis” says Professor Amougou Joseph Armathée, director general of the National Observatory on Climate Change.

According to World Bank 2022 report,Climate change is a big threat to the country’s dependence on natural resources and agriculture for livelihoods and subsistence.

The report says under current climate conditions, about two million people live in drought-affected areas.

Tropical forests cover almost 40% of the country and provide an estimated 8 million rural people with traditional staples including food, medicines, fuel, and construction material.

“Changes in temperature, rain, and droughts are putting these populations at greater risks for increased poverty and famine.”

The socioeconomic impact of climate change shocks is hurting both the structural poor and the close to 40% of vulnerable households in Cameroon. Women, especially those living in conflict areas or indigenous groups, are more severely hit by climate change because they are accounting for 75% of workers in the informal agricultural sector and are primarily responsible for the welfare of their households and food security, the World Bank report indicates.

Experts say communities need to be trained on the climate change challenges sot hey can better step up actions to address the crisis.

“With the climate threats worsening, the National Observatory on climate change is collecting data and sharing alerts and early warning information that can help communities take the necessary measures to either prevent or adapt to the effects of climate change” says Professor Amougou. 

It should be recalled that the recently released Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report  underscores the urgency for rapid, deep and sustained action on climate adaptation to ensure the world’s poorest countries are not caught off guard by worsening climate impacts.

 The report assesses the impacts of climate change, looking at ecosystems, biodiversity, and human communities at global and regional levels and notes that “actions are most urgent in Africa, where accelerated effort is required to adapt to climate change to avoid mounting loss of life, biodiversity and infrastructure.”

This seminal report offers new insights on possible pathways for policymakers, business leaders and others to ramp up their efforts to tackle the climate crisis at the scale and urgency required.

YAOUNDE, Cameroon )PAMACC News) - Stakeholders have been enjoined to reinforce adaptation policies and actions as pathways against climate change.

The call was made by environment experts at two day workshop to empower youths, women, small-scaled farmers,fath-based groups on climate adaptation policies and actions in Cameroon.

The workshop took place at the Mvolye Church Centre in Yaounde September 12-13, 2023.

Organised by the African Coalition for Sustainable Energy & Access (ACSEA), the workshop seeked to developing participants’ skills to better interact with stakeholders and decision makers therough effective communication, negotiation and advocacy techniques.

According to the CEO of ACSEA, Dr. Augustine Njamnshi, “the workshop was also to strengthen knowledge on processes and policy mechanism related to climate change adaptation at national level.”

“Faith-based organizations, small-scale farmers, youth and women groups often have a strong moral imperative to act on climate change, but they may lack the knowledge and skills to effectively advocate for climate adaptation policies and actions,” Njamnshi added.

The training centered on topics like climate change impact on food systems in Cameroon, Cameroons climate change adaptation and resilence strategies, mapping local climate change impacts and adaptation staregies, climate information and adaptive uses in Cameroon amongst others.

Climate experts say transforming lives means having the right policies in place and the enabling environment for climate investments to yield the right results.

“We need to empower the community on the issues sot hey can question and push government and non-governmental organisations, NGOs,to put in place the right policies. Community actors should be able to know, the problems their communties are facing and to see whether solutions proposed by some NGOs are not flawed” noted Eugene Nforngwa, head of programs ACSEA.

According to the World Bank,Cameroon has an opportunity to turn the climate crisis into an opportunity for a more green and resilient future for all, taking a people centered approach to climate action. The country’s poverty rate could be reduced five-fold by 2050.

Experts say climate change is impacting social and economic gains in the country and and stakeholders must get to work with the right actions to address it.

“Climate change in a reality and we are all living witnesses of its disastrous effects. The floods, landslides, droughts are affecting agriculture, water resources, health and the environment in general. It will take our collective efforts  to get the right solutions to address this crisis” says Professor Amougou Joseph Armathée, director general of the National Observatory on Climate Change.

According to World Bank 2022 report,Climate change is a big threat to the country’s dependence on natural resources and agriculture for livelihoods and subsistence.

The report says under current climate conditions, about two million people live in drought-affected areas.

Tropical forests cover almost 40% of the country and provide an estimated 8 million rural people with traditional staples including food, medicines, fuel, and construction material.

“Changes in temperature, rain, and droughts are putting these populations at greater risks for increased poverty and famine.”

The socioeconomic impact of climate change shocks is hurting both the structural poor and the close to 40% of vulnerable households in Cameroon. Women, especially those living in conflict areas or indigenous groups, are more severely hit by climate change because they are accounting for 75% of workers in the informal agricultural sector and are primarily responsible for the welfare of their households and food security, the World Bank report indicates.

Experts say communities need to be trained on the climate change challenges sot hey can better step up actions to address the crisis.

“With the climate threats worsening, the National Observatory on climate change is collecting data and sharing alerts and early warning information that can help communities take the necessary measures to either prevent or adapt to the effects of climate change” says Professor Amougou. 

It should be recalled that the recently released Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report  underscores the urgency for rapid, deep and sustained action on climate adaptation to ensure the world’s poorest countries are not caught off guard by worsening climate impacts.

 The report assesses the impacts of climate change, looking at ecosystems, biodiversity, and human communities at global and regional levels and notes that “actions are most urgent in Africa, where accelerated effort is required to adapt to climate change to avoid mounting loss of life, biodiversity and infrastructure.”

This seminal report offers new insights on possible pathways for policymakers, business leaders and others to ramp up their efforts to tackle the climate crisis at the scale and urgency required.