By: Saidu Jalloh
The Sierra Leone Agricultural Research Institute (SLARI), in collaboration with the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), held a successful field day at Blama town Small Bo Chiefdom in Kenema district, offering local farmers the opportunity to engage in a participatory varietal selection (PVS) process for maize. Organized by the Rokupr Agricultural Research Centre (RARC), the event aimed to empower farmers to identify superior maize varieties for further promotion and multiplication across Sierra Leone.
In his keynote address, Dr. Nabieu Kamara, team lead of the project, highlighted the significance of the partnership with AGRA, which provided SLARI with 40 maize varieties tested in multiple locations throughout the country. He emphasized that AGRA’s timely support aligns with the government’s Feed Salone initiative, a priority agenda of President Julius Maada Bio aimed at achieving food security. Dr. Kamara noted that low maize yields have long been a challenge for farmers, but the PVS approach would help address this by allowing farmers to choose maize varieties that are not only palatable but also resilient to various environmental challenges.
Dr. Kamara further stressed the importance of collaboration in advancing SLARI’s research efforts, emphasizing that partnerships like the one with AGRA are crucial for agricultural development. “Having enumerators work directly with farmers in the field ensures that we gather valuable feedback on the selected varieties,” he said, adding that the farmers’ input is key to developing maize seeds that suit their needs. He also underscored that achieving food security requires a system of seed self-sufficiency.
Farmers attending the field day expressed enthusiasm for their involvement in the PVS process. Mr. Mohamed Kanneh, a maize farmer from Bo, praised the SLARI team for their research and fieldwork. He noted that the inclusion of farmers in the variety selection process ensures a direct link between research and practical farming needs. “By participating in this process, we are closer to adopting high-yielding maize varieties that will improve our livelihoods,” Kanneh said. He added that farmers in the southern region of Sierra Leone trust SLARI’s research capabilities and are eager to see these new varieties made widely available.
Mrs. Mariama Kennedy, another farmer, shared similar sentiments. In an interview, she expressed excitement about the maize varieties presented at the event, describing them as high-yielding, fast-growing, and resistant to disease. “These varieties are shorter in height, making them easier to manage, and their disease resistance will help ensure a good harvest,” she said. She also emphasized how access to these improved varieties would enable farmers to increase their income and pay for their children’s education. “We just need SLARI to make these varieties available to us, and we’ll be motivated to cultivate maize on a larger scale,” she concluded.
The PVS process marks a significant step toward increasing maize yields and improving food security in Sierra Leone. As farmers take a leading role in selecting the best-performing maize varieties, adopting these high-yielding, resilient seeds will likely enhance productivity and contribute to the overall goal of reducing hunger and poverty in rural communities.