Videos on extension and advisory services

By Zainab Joaque

As often said and rightly so, agriculture is the foundation of most economies. The great interplay between agriculture and the nations’ prosperity cannot be overemphasized, and as such all efforts at revitalizing this sector should be visualized as a means to economic emancipation.

Agriculture does not only have a bearing on our economy but also the reputation we enjoy as one time leading producer of cocoa, coffee, piassava and tobacco, but the war has considerably affected the production of these crops. Agriculture, the government says, contributes almost 50% to the country’s gross domestic product (GDP), employs about two-thirds of the population, and generates almost a quarter of the export earnings and provides most of the raw materials for industry.

It is true that the state of the country’s agriculture is in tartars, but it is our role as a people of a democratic country to offer government our supports in its bid to initiate innovations to redefine the industry.The Small-Holder Commercialization Programme and the tractor hire purchase which is being implemented by government I can safely are a step in a right direction; by making our farmers owners of 265 tractors.

Nonetheless, the burning question here is that who is responsible for the maintenance of these tractors knowing full well that our farmers are so poor and that they are not well organized?If we had all farmers organized to pull more if not all of the agricultural value chain, they would be able to pay for services needed by them.

Now, one of the major problems of agriculture is that the returns of farmers are so woefully inadequate that their children do not see a future in agriculture. If just 20% of the country’s budget on agriculture goes down to the grassroots levels we would see agriculture and food production triple, with not much effort. We need to take more bold and drastic approach to up the agriculture projects. There is a shortage of information and technical system from the grassroots farmers which needs to be looked into.

The problems confronting this sector are many; however, the pressing need for government to devise pragmatic mechanisms towards its rectification can no longer be left unattended to. In his address on the occasion of the State Opening of the Fifth Session of the Third Parliament of the Second Republic of Sierra Leone, President Koroma outlined his government’s policy to provide investment incentives to the private sector which he said has also triggered a good number of huge investments in the sector and created jobs for Sierra Leoneans. But will these companies deliver what the citizens of this country are yearning for? I do not think so.The reason,I think we must push hard for our farmers to get involved more in the value chain. I have read about so many examples of where very well meaning private sector people come to get involved with farmers to help them with market development structure.Some of them did well with farmers they shared resources with but when another business opportunity comes, that are more profitable, they move out and then there is a gap and then back to square one.

So, so, so! That is why I am saying that in terms of sustainability of these investments there must be a strong partnership between our farmers and these agricultural companies. The people originally involved in agriculture must look way beyond just the production path and into controlling marketing for it to be sustainable because the people who come in as investors would move in and desperately find ways of utilizing the funds for their own benefit.

For instance, the biting problem of transportation, apart from contributing substantially to post harvest losses and influencing the cost of locally grown food, has wide spread social and economic ramifications. The importation of rice, the staple food has increased drastically for current consumption. Earlier this year, the President announced a 10% reduction on the staple food rice, but that has not been reflected on the price of rice in the market, what is happening?

The prices of food staples are of critical influence on inflation and real income of people and the provision of storage facilities in major production areas to cut losses are allkey to stabilizing prices on the market. Improvement in transport infrastructure is a giant step towards finding an answer to the agricultural question. In as much as it is accepted that the issue of transportation is a hot soup that needs to be slowly taken from the edges of the bowl, government must redouble its effort towards maintenance of existing road network and construction of new ones.

The rehabilitation exercise currently underway is a positive move by government and deserves commendation by all, noticeably the Masiaka-Pamlap highway, Tombo and Peninsula road linking Freetown, the latter has fish landing sites being built at Bonthe, Shenge, Tombo and Goderich, the completion of this road will ease the transportation of fish from these major fishing towns west without going through the main city center. It is our hope that government will do same in all other areas where roads linking major marketing centers are bad. The completion of these roads especially the Bo Bandajuma highway and the Kabala road would help facilitate free movement of people, goods and services and hence increase trade between the Mano River Union states of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. This would also revive formerly buoyant towns and trading centers.
It is worthwhile for parliament to propose a permanent approach to agricultural planning; the setting up of the Agricultural Development Programme to advise government on problems connected with agriculture is welcoming. Also NGOs must step in to support and sponsor programmes that enlighten the public and highlight agriculture for positive change.

This article is a paragraph in a never ending story beginning with the importance of agriculture to national development and ending with a solemn appeal to all to support and contribute their quota towards the realization of our long cherished dream of mid-income status.