December 21, 2021
By: MORISON M. KOROMA
In lieu of broadening the scope and ensuring exhaustive approach that informs and sensitizes farmers on the Cocoa, Coffee & Cashew policies, solidaridad in partnership with the Boost Agriculture and Food Security (BAFS) has organized a day ‘Training of Trainers’ workshop for all District Agriculture Officers, Block Extension Supervisors, District Crops Officers, M&Es and selected key field staff of the Sierra Leone Produce Monitoring Board with funds from European Union.
It’s aimed at enlightening participants on the provision of the policies and goals therein.
Upon their retune the trained Block Extension Supervisors are expected to train other farmers who will cascade information about the policies and broaden the knowledge of more farmers about the policies in rural communities.
Lahai Tucker is the Planning, Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning officer for Solidaridad West Africa, Sierra Leone chapter, whilst welcoming the district MAFS & PMB officials he entreated all to treat the project with all forms of importance, describing agriculture as one of the key enabler to a country’s economy. “Solidaridad which operates in over 40 countries from five continents has always laid premium on agriculture because of its massive improvement of a country’s Gross Domestic Products, and it’s contributing factor to boosting food security amongst other factors”, Tucker said. He furthered that those policies are platforms where farmers would be catered for.
Produce monitoring board is a regulatory body and has the responsibility of ensuring the provision of a well-regulated market for cocoa, coffee, cashew nuts (CCC) and other varieties.
In a snappy statement, the district coordinator Saidu Jalloh who represented the executive chairman expressed delight over the CCC policies and also implored all to handle the popularization process diligently.
One of the three consultants for the policies, Aisie Nana Victoria Williams who is also believed to have authored the cashew policy, in a joyous mood expressed contentment over participants’ turnout.
“I’m pleased with this turn out. The session is well conceptualized, I am very sure that this message will reach those concerned. If the policies have to be more workable and bankable, they have to come down as far as the grass-root levels’’, She asserted.
On his part, the head of tree crops, ministry of agriculture and forestry who doubles as the keynote speaker of the day Francis Turay, said that his ministry through this process has created an enabling environment for all farmers, exporters and all players of the cocoa, coffee and cashew value chain in yielding more dividends.
According to Turay, these are policy documents containing implementation plans, M&E guides and production manuals facilitators’ guides and farmers’ out growers. He informed participants about the newest variety (Mercedes varieties) which takes only 20 months to begin production. He encouraged all to implement the knowledge gained when they shall have returned to their respective localities.