By Mohamed Jalloh

One of the major development partners of the government of Sierra Leone, the United Nations Resident Coordinator (UNRC) has lauded president Bio`s agricultural policies in its 2021  results report.

The 2021 results report is a stock taking tool of the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework Implementation by 18 agencies, funds and programmes operating in and out of Sierra Leone.

Dr Babatunde Ahonsi, the United Nations resident coordinator in Sierra Leone explains that the country has witnessed the escalation of improved agricultural practices under the reign of the new direction government.

The resident coordinator corroborates the report and confirms that food vulnerability precipitated by food insecurity has drastically reduced.

According to Dr Ahonsi the UN system works tirelessly to actualize the country`s development aspirations by aligning the country`s Medium Term National Development Plan (MTDP) with the Sustainable Development Goals under the UN Covid-19 response plan.

He extoled the reinvigorated cooperative partnership with the government of Sierra Leone for the success in delivering coherent, effective and efficient programmatic and operational activities in the cooperation framework for the year 2021.

Harding Wuyango, the officer in charge of the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) said the relationship between the government of Sierra Leone and FAO has spanned over 40 years.

Mr Wuyango reveals that through the effective partnership with the government, FAO has contributed to the development of Sierra Leone through many interventions in the agricultural sector.

According to Mr Wuyango the interventions have contributed to the reduction of hunger and food insecurity and the introduction of best agricultural policies.

He said the meaningful partnership with the government have succeeded in:

*Unlocking the challenges for actors along the various agricultural value chain using improved agricultural practices.

*Ensuring that natural resources are well utilized in a sustainable way.

*Setting the policy environment for sustainable agriculture.

*Building resilient structures to address emerging issues such as pandemics and climate change.

Ann Turinayo, the country director of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) said the fund works closely with the government of Sierra Leone to implement agricultural development programmes aimed at rural transformation.

She emphasized on the need for farmers to have access to financial services.

Mrs Turinayo reveals that by the end of 2021 IFAD reached 22,265 households with support to access to financial services, through a network of 76 financial institutions which includes community banks and financial services institutions.

The IFAD country director said they also supported 2000 women headed households and persons with disabilities with post Covid-19 support through vegetable production.

“These groups have planted 10,000 hectares of assorted vegetables and we are able to reach 7,358 households”, Mrs Turinayo discloses.

According to Mrs Turinayo these interventions are geared towards eliminating the barriers in the agricultural value chain.