ISSUE NO 2 OCTOBER 1999

THE MONTHLY NEWSLETTER OF THE FAO’s SUPPORTED COORDINATION UNIT

CONTENT TO OUR READERS

The first issue of AGRISIL, which came out in September 1999, was well received by agencies involved in agricultural TO OUR READERS ……………………………………….. 1 relief and rehabilitation assistance in Sierra Leone. The newsletter is considered a positive contribution to the existing coordination mechanism. In response, AGRISIL has received numerous reports on the activities of organizations in the field WVSL ASSISTS FARMERS IN BONTHE ………… 2 of agriculture. This issue of October 1999 coincides with important events including the return to Freetown of former rebel leaders, the approval, by the Security Council, of a peace keeping force in Sierra Leone, the nomination of a new cabinet EU SUPPORTS COORDINATION………………… 3 and the launching of the disarmament exercise. The occurrence of these events has instilled a spirit of confidence and optimism among Sierra Leoneans, and the scenario of lasting peace is gaining momentum. Humanitarian agencies are MAFE LAUNCHES TELEFOOD…………………… 3 hopeful that the year 2000 will witness the end of the suffering of vulnerable people, the majority of whom are farmers. AFRICARE REPORTS GROUNDNUT…………… 4 UNHCR is expecting the return of at least 100 000 refugees YEILDS from neighbouring countries in the year 2000. Amid this atmosphere agencies involved in agricultural relief are working together to properly plan their interventions during the 2000 AASL LAUNCHES FISHING BOATS ………… … 5 main season. CARE has carried out a vulnerability assessment in 28 chiefdoms. The European Union (EU) is funding a consultant to undertake a vulnerability analysis of northern and GTZ PLANS REHABILITATING SMP. …………….. 5 eastern provinces. The Ministry of Agriculture, in collaboration with FAO, is carrying out a Crop/Needs Assessment Survey in accessible areas countrywide. These CARE UNDERTAKES VULNERABILITY ……… 6 exercises will provide invaluable information for better ANALYSIS IN 28 CHIEFDOMS targeting of beneficiaries.

On the other hand, Honorable Okere Adams has been CHINA DONATES AGRICULTURAL ………… 7 nominated Minister for Agriculture, Forestry and Marine MACHINES AND IMPLEMENTS Resources. The new Ministry replaces the erstwhile Ministries of Agriculture, Forestry and Environment (MAFE) and Fisheries and Marine Resources (MFMR) which have now been merged into one Ministry. Honorable Adams, who served PEMSD CARRIES OUT NEEDS …………………. 7 as a deputy Minister before his nomination for this portfolio, is ASSESSMENT a well-known figure in the spheres of agriculture and politics. AGRISIL grasps this opportunity to congratulate the Minister for his nomination.

1 WORLD VISION (WVSL) SUPPORTS FARMERS IN

The overall goal of the World Vision under the framework of the programme. For the 1999 main season, Sierra Leone’s Agricultural Recovery WVSL’s agricultural programme in Bonthe district targeted a total Programme is to help address the of 2800 farm families in six chiefdoms. This target population agricultural needs of vulnerable farming consisted of smallholder, resource-poor farmers who returned from communities in target areas in Kono, Bo, refugee camps and settled in their villages and had not benefited Bonthe and Pujehun districts. Essential from past WVSL agricultural interventions. Each farm family farm inputs, extension services and received a standard package of 25 kg seed rice, 10 kg groundnut, strengthening of the agricultural support one bundle of cassava stems, 750 sweet potato cuttings, a cocktail of systems are provided through farming vegetable seeds, and set of farming tools as summarized in the table families and farming groups/communities below:

Zone Chiefdom Case- Seed rice Cassava Sweet potato Groundnut Vegetable Set farming load (kg) (bundles) (bags) (kg) (kg) tools (no) Mattru Sogbini 100 2 500 100 50 1 000 7.50 100 Kpanda Kemoh 100 2 500 100 50 1 000 7.50 100 Yawbeko 350 8 750 350 175 3 500 26.25 350 Nongoba Bullom 1 000 25 000 1 000 500 10 000 75.00 1 000 Bendu Cha 500 12 500 500 250 5 000 37.50 500 Torma Bum 150 3 750 150 75 1 500 11.25 150 Kwamebai Krim 600 15 000 600 300 6 000 45.00 600 Total 2 800 70 000 2 800 1 400 28 000 210.00 2800

In addition to the assistance provided to individual farm families, WVSL also targeted village-level farmer groups/communities. The following were the activities implemented during the 1999-farming year.

1-Strengthening of the collaborative linkages with food security partners (i.e. 426 Community Development Committees) for localized resource mobilization and management.

2-Establishment of 93 demonstration plots for improved cultural practices in highly interactive locations to enhance farmers skills in producing major food crops such as rice, cassava and sweat potato.

3-Strengthening and establishment of community-based seed banks through the recovery and redistribution of 9452 bushels or 83% of seed rice loans.

4-Provision of extension service support to 11 389 old farmers to expand their knowledge base.

5-Establishment of one field station within the district for the testing and multiplication of improved crop materials.

6- Initiation of small-scale programs to improve food security food insecurity through:

(A) Distribution of 5490 bags of sweet potato vines, 12 200 bundles of cassava sticks and 27 000 seedlings of oil palm. Maize and cowpea seeds were also distributed. (B) Construction of six grain-stores in various locations to minimize post-harvest grain losses, preserve seed viability and build group dynamics. (C) Construction and provision of processing units (motorized graters, de-humidifiers and roasters) in two root crop processing centers. (D) Construction of two poultry restocking centres and raising of 700 day-old exotic cockerel breeds which were distributed among 140 communities along with 5000 local hens.

2 EU SUPPORTS AGRICULTURAL COORDINATION AND GRASSROOT FARMERS

SUPPORT TO AGRIC ULTURAL COORDINATION ASSISTANCE TO GRASSROOT FARMERS

The effort of NGOs in the grassroots development In 1997 approximately one billion Leones was earmarked process have been recognized in Sierra Leone since the by the EU in the STABEX fund to assist farmers 1960s. In recent times, however the inflow of rehabilitate their crops. However, owing to the coup of international and Non-Governmental Organizations into May 1997 and the events following, the programme was the country and the establishment of local ones have not implemented. When the Government was reinstated considerably increased. As a large number of the NGOs in 1998 attempts were made to reactivate the programme are providing assistance to the agriculture sector the but this was aborted by events of 6th January 1999. In Government is taking the necessary steps to address the August 1999 proposals were submitted to the Ministry of coordination issues of these institutions. The ultimate Finance and the EU but owing to delays the programme objective is to ensure that the assistance provided by did not take off. Currently efforts are being made to these institutions is effectively utilized for the benefit of reactivate the programme. To this end a programme the vulnerable people. manager has been assigned and a steering committee Against this background MAFE has put in place a established. The aim of the current programme is to coordinating unit to specifically coordinate field support the immediate agricultural related needs of activities of all partners in the sector. Since agriculture displaced and war-affected people. In this regard it is provides a livelihood to about 80 percent of the intended to support projects and activities in Agriculture population, underscoring the effective coordination of and food security including: these service providers, will provide a recipe for the - Tree crop rehabilitation inefficient use of the meagre resources available for the - Food crop production many desperately poor Sierra Leoneans who are in the - Vegetable gardening majority. The unit is a new creation within the existing - Provision of planting materials Ministry-structure and, therefore, may have a lot of - Livestock restocking teething problems becoming quickly established and functional. The unit is unlikely to receive urgent attention A central feature of the planned assistance programme is for immediate funding of its activities from the normal that projects will involve the local communities government subventions. Consequently it will have to concerned and represent interests of the direct rely on external donor support. The Government has beneficiaries. The programme will encourage proposals submitted a request for assistance to some donors in the above-mentioned fields that are compact, clearly including the EU and FAO. In response, the European defined, manageable and have clear aims and objectives. Union as part of the agricultural assistance programme to Following technical and financial evaluation those the sector is to provide support to the coordination unit. projects considered suitable for funding will then be The support is mainly in the form of supply of office presented to the programme steering committee for materials and equipment including a computer, a fax approval. Proposals from grassroots community based machine and a photocopier to ensure that the unit is able organizations can be forwarded to either the to function effectively and achieve expected outputs. The programmme manager, STABEX fund, National support will also include provision of stationary and Authorising Office, or the coordination unit, room 108, sundries for a period of three months. However for the MAFE, YOUYI BUILDING, Freetown medium- and longer-term support to the unit, the Ministry is requesting other donors to emulate the kind gesture of the EU and provide assistance to the unit.

MAFE LAUNCHES TELEFOOD

The Rome Declaration and the Plan of Action adopted by the 1996 World Food Summit called for the establishment of an enabling political, social and economic environment to create the best conditions for the eradication of poverty and for lasting peace, based on the full and equal participation of women and men. TeleFood is the media programme designed to raise funds to finance grassroots micro projects aimed at fighting hunger and malnutrition.

In Sierra Leone, TeleFood was launched on 20 August 1999 by his Excellency Alhaji Dr Ahmed Tejan Kabbah the president of the Republic. Senior government officials, diplomats, youth groups and farmers' associations attended the launching ceremony which was also addressed by the FAO Representative in Sierra Leone Mr Moorosi V. Raditapole. The president informed his audience that the Sierra Leoneans delegation to the Food Summit was involved in the decision that led to the TeleFood initiative. He further explained, "We are launching the campaign to end hunger at a time when our country is plagued with wanton destruction of our productive resources. It is disheartening to note that for over nine years our farmers, who have very little to do with politics, have had to suffer the brunt of the civil conflict in our country". The

3 president hoped that TeleFood would assist in achieving food for all within the shortest possible time. On the theme "YOUTH AGAINST HUNGER" the president said, "This theme is where we are in terms of food supply, what the food gaps very appropriate in our history. You will agree with me are, how we will fill them and when we hope to achieve that youths have been the most seriously affected group food security and ensure that food is a right and not a in our society. In this regard, I wish to encourage the privilege. These challenges," he went on, "are certainly relevant Ministry, aid agencies, donors and private sector not the sole responsibility of the Government, but should to plan programmes that will help youth groups develop occupy the minds of all our partners in the agricultural their potentials". Video spots and video features on sector including donors and NGOs". TeleFood 1999, as well as radio and audio programmes were made available to the media to promote It is worth mentioning that proceeds from the TeleFood WFD/TeleFood 1999. Two million Leones were raised at campaign over the past years has permitted FAO to the launch. TeleFood is the special event on World Food establish a TeleFood Special Fund (TSF) to finance small Day that was celebrated in Waterloo this year. On the projects that aim to provide direct assistance to farmers occasion of World Food Day, the Minister of and other inhabitants of villages and rural communities. Agriculture, Honorable Okere Adams said, "In 1996 we Women are an important specific target group, in the set ourselves a target of achieving self-sufficiency in rice launching of self-contained food production activities production within five years, but due to an upsurge of generating income for the rural poor. Such funds should rebel activities we could not achieve our target" be used exclusively for the provision of inputs, supplies, However, the Minister called on the Sierra Leoneans to material or small equipment including their shipping and be optimistic saying that the situation can be reversed delivery to beneficiaries and excludes the recruitment of with the signing of the Lome peace agreement, the any type of expertise. TSF projects should utilize simple implementation of the disarmament and the return of technologies, already familiar to the community in the farmers to undertake full-scale food production activities. fields of crop, animal and fish production. The Minister went on to say, "We need to determine

AFRICARE REPORTS GROUNDNUT YIELDS IN BO AND

AFRICARE under grants from the USAID/OFDA were laid in each of these farms, depending on the size of continued its support to farmers (Returnees and IDPS) the farm. To avoid bias, two random numbers were used this season in Bo and Pujehun district. 1653 bushels to determine the position of each sub-yield plot on the (29.75 tonnes) of groundnuts were distributed to farm. The plots were harvested and wet weights of registered and verified farmers. This assistance forms groundnut seed taken. The seeds were allowed to dry and part of the input package of the emergency agricultural dry-weight measured using a 50-kg hanging scale. recovery programmes, which has been maintained in Results presented reflect dry-weight obtained for each eight chiefdoms of these two districts for the past 2-3 plot. Average plot weights are utilized. years. Groundnut seeds were distributed early and farmers completed timely planting of their seeds by mid RESULTS: The tables below show the details, which May. In August 1999, the monitoring and evaluation can be summarized as follows: sector carried out a groundnut yield assessment in 95 1. Average groundnut yield in the two districts is randomly selected groundnut farms (45 in approximately 0.69 tonnes. and 50 in Pujehun district) 2. The average farm size is 1.6 acres in Bo and 0.8 acres in Pujehun with average yield of 0.7 tonnes/ha OBJECTIVE: The overall objective is to ascertain in Bo and 0.687 tonnes/ha in Pujehun. farmers potential in paying back their groundnuts loans 3. JL 24 variety yields 0.755 tonnes/ha while Mares for continuity of the seed bank programme. In this variety yields 0.58 tonnes/ha (12.8 bushels/acre) The context the exercise aims at determining the performance yield of both varieties is better in Pujehun than Bo. of groundnut this season in the two districts and to compare the yields of Mares and JL 24 groundnut Comparison between JL 24 and mares varieties varieties under farmers management. District Samples Groundnut Yield (tonnes/ha) METHODOLOGY: 95 groundnut farmers JL 24 MARES (approximately 19 percent of those supported) were Bo 15 0.75 0.56 randomly selected from all eight chiefdoms of Bo and Pujehun 15 0.76 0.60 Pujehun districts. A total of 30 of the 95 farmers (15 in Average 0.755 0.58 each district) cultivated JL 24 variety. Crop cutting method in which sub-yield plots of size 50 metres square

CONCLUSIONS: In view of its higher yield it is advisable to give JL24 variety to farmers.

4 ACTION AID’s YOUTH IN CRISIS PROJECT LAUNCHES TWO FISHING BOATS

The Youth in Crisis project was initiated to carry out an The cash AASL has provided to the women in both in-depth consultative process among Sierra Leoneans, communities is administered through the National and others to design a strategic framework for addressing Cooperative Development Bank (NCDB). The bank the immediate and long-term health, educational and conducted a training course in savings and credit vocational needs of Sierra Leonean youth in general and management for the men and women in both socially excluded and marginalized youth, including communities and they have encouraged them to have combatants and ex-combatants, in particular. three types of savings viz: personal savings, group The project is jointly implemented by Action Aid Sierra savings and loan repayment savings. This is compulsory Leone as a lead agency, UNICEF, Conciliation for all the seventy women in the savings and credit Resources and the Ministry of Youth, Education and scheme and the forty male youths with the fishing boats Sports with some support from the World Bank. in both communities. The loan is for a one and half year period for the women and a two-year period for the men. The above consultations were carried out in 23 communities in Kenema, Bo and Freetown. Since the The UNICEF Representative Ms Jo Anna Van Garpen results of the findings in the consultation were to be launched the Congo Town boat on the 1st October whilst tested as pilot projects, fishing emerged as one of the the Lakka Village Community boat was launched by the pressing Minister of needs of Education the youths Youths and in the Sports Hon. Congo Dr Alpha T. Town and Wurie. The Lakka AASL Village Country Communiti Director, Mr es. Samuel T. Musa made Therefore brief remarks the AASL during both Youth In occasions to Crisis reassure the project youth of came to AASL’s the aid of the Youths in these two communities by continued support to the two projects if they are properly providing them with the following:- cared for. The two projects are targeting twenty (20) A. Congo Town Community: (Snapper fishing) male and thirty-five (35) female youths in each of the A fishing boat, an outboard engine, an ice-box and two communities. nets were provided to male youths while cash as a credit was given to female youths. Staff of the marine department offered technical support B. Lakka Village Community: (Mackerel fishing) through conductionof a needs assessment in the two A fishing boat, an outboard engine, an ice-box and nets communities, writing a report of their findings and were provided to the male youths. The female youths in conducting a training session for the women fisherfolk in this community, unlike those at Congo Town, were the processing and preservation of fish so as to avoid provided with two fish drying floors and cash as credit. post-harvest losses.

contract farmers with an annual output of 2000 tonnes (80 000 Bu). From the 1997 crop season, approximately 27 000 tonnes of seed was distributed to agricultural GTZ PLANS THE REHABILITATION OF development projects, NGOs, contract seed growers, SMP relief organizations and individual farmers. The project has therefore gone a long way in trying to The Seed Multiplication Project (SMP) is an institution fulfil its overall objective which is to make a vital under the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and the contribution to the task of achieving national food self- Environment, which is now also called SEERA SEEDS. sufficiency through the multiplication and distribution of The project looks back at 23 years of existence during improved seed rice and planting materials of our released which it has been able to consolidate both its staple food crops. The global understanding of the infrastructure by establishing three seed centres in observed situation surrounding the atrocities levied on Kobia, Makeni and Kenema and through the distribution the three seed centres from March 1998 – March 28 to of certified seed rice to the Sierra Leone farming 1999 account for a loss of DM 3.2 million. These communities. “SIERRA SEEDS” organizes workshops, atrocities disrupted the present phase (6th phase) which occasional field days, etc. and through close supervision was The following strategies are recommended: of its trained field staff has been able to recruit 3000 5 1- Rehabilitation of seed storage and processing facilities originally planned from 1st July 1997 until June 2000. All 2-Resumption of seed production and marketing seeds of the 1998 / 99 season were looted, though part of 3- Privatization of “SIERRA SEEDS” by the year 2001 the seed was distributed to farmers by rebels for food 4- Identification of international institutions and NGOs in production. As a result, no sales of seeds were effected in the area of pre-financing to enable “SIERRA SEEDS” 1999. to purchase 80 000 bushels of seed rice annually Upon the request of BMZ and GTZ a mission of German 5- Financial support from GOSL towards : experts, involving MLP / GTZ Sierra Leone, was sent to i- Salary for 1999 and 2000 for staff, running costs and Freetown to collect additional information on the actual other areas of commitment situation of “SIERRA SEED” and access to areas where ii- Give Sierra Seeds marketing first place multilateral donors and international NGOs could iii- Reactivate the National Seed Board, the Rokupr Rice contribute the limited funds from BMZ so as to reactivate Research Station and the Institute of Agricultural or make the “SIERRA SEEDS” functional. Research.

CARE UNDERTAKES VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENT IN 28 CHIEFDOMS

From April 1995, after the rebel war entered district CARE had to shift from a developmental programming focus to a relief and rehabilitation programme focus. CARE’s relief and rehabilitation programmes have continued to address the needs of people affected by the war in the districts of Moyamba, Tonkolili and parts of Bonthe and more recently in the municipality of Freetown. Since April 1995, over 200 000 families have received various forms of assistance from CARE ranging from the provisioning of food, household utensils, shelter materials, seeds and tools, clean water and sanitation facilities and health and education. In order to better target these emergency aid services, CARE Sierra Leone developed a “Chiefdom Vulnerability” Analysis System to rapidly review and rank food security conditions in targeted geographic areas.

CARE’s Chiefdom Vulnerability Analysis Methodology assesses food security indicators that relate to issues of supply and access."Supply indicators" assess agricultural production and exposure to area conflict. Because of time constraints and a lack of up-to-date health and nutrition data in some operational areas, "access indicators", normally measured at the household level, were instead estimated using chiefdom level proxies. Key access Proxy indicators reviewed by chiefdom included security/stability, agency coverage, physical destruction, population stability, harvest levels, market activity levels, livelihood stability and health care availability.

In September 1999 CARE undertook a vulnerability analysis of 28 chiefdoms that covered all 14 chiefdoms of Moyamba district, four chiefdoms of Bonthe mainland district and ten out of eleven chiefdoms in as indicated in the table below. The analysis classified the 28 chiefdoms into three broad food security ‘risk’ categories as shown in the table below: .

Food Security Definition Chiefdoms in the Category Risk Category

Extreme Risk Food deficit area due to high levels of insecurity Tonkilili: Konike Sanda, Konike Barina Tane, Kholifa preventing farming activities and humanitarian Rowalla, Kafe Samira, Kalansogoia and Malal Mara. With access. Lack of seed will hinder crop cultivation the exception of Malal Mara, they all remain entirely RUF in the year 2000. controlled.

Border line to Moderate to high-level food insecurity. Insecure Tonkolili: Kholifa Mabang, Yoni and Gbonkolenken high risk before the cease fire but now most are Moyamba: Ribbi, Bumpeh, Kori and Fakunya accessible. Very little or no external aid. Productive Reasonably food secure compared to base line Bonthe: Benducha, Imperi,Jong, Nongoba Bullom conditions. Characterized by stable population, Moyamba: Bagruwa, Banta Gbangbatoke, Dasse, Kaiyamba, normal to good harvests, functioning market and Kamajei, Kargboro, Kori, Kowa and Timdale good agency coverage. Rehabilitation and development assistance is recommended.

With limited resources available and unstable programming environment, CARE has found the Chiefdom Vulnerability Analysis to be an important tool that allows effective targeting and programming of the limited emergency resources to the most needy and vulnerable populations in a timely manner

CHINA DONATES AGRICULTURAL MACHINES AND IMPLEMENTS In response to an earlier request made by the Government of Sierra Leone, the Ministry of Agriculture Forestry and 6 Marine Resources has recently received a consignment of farm machinery, implements and tools from the The Planning, Evaluation, Monitoring and Statistics Government of the Peoples Republic of China, which Division (PEMSD) of the Ministry of Agriculture in will help the country speed its development and recovery collaboration with FAO has started a rapid Crop and from war. This machinery, equipment and tools have Needs Assessment Survey to cover all accessible areas in now been leased to farmers through farmers associations, the country. The exercise aims to collect information by district, in the context of the Ministry’s policy on pertinent to crop and livestock production which will decentralization, privatization and empowerment of assist the Ministry in estimating the harvest this year and farmers. Under this programme, each district has been the needs for agricultural inputs during the year 2000. allocated six power tillers and two rice haulers. This machinery, equipment and tools are to be managed by Questionnaires and the implementation plan were farmers under the technical supervision of the Ministry of extensively discussed during a series of chaired by Dr Agriculture, Forestry and Marine Resources. The farmers A.M. Kargbo, the Director of PEMSD. A two-day will operate the machines under a hire system, the fees of training workshop was organized for the survey which are to be determined by the farmers' association supervisors. The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and executives. The proceeds shall be paid into an Marine Resources has released vehicles and motor bikes Agricultural Development Fund for future expansion. for this exercise, which will be carried out in close District executives of farmers associations have already collaboration with Chief Regional Officers and the signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with PEMSD District Officers. The fieldwork is expected to the Ministry on behalf of the farmers. last for one month to cover nine districts with It would be recalled that when the democratically elected participation of seven supervisors and 50 enumerators. government assumed power in 1996, the primary objective of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Marine resources was to achieve food self-sufficiency in ANNOUNCEMENT five years, especially the staple food rice. With this objective in mind the Ministry developed the Five-year World Vision Sierra Leone, in collaboration with various National Rice Plan, and requested assistance from CDCs, will be organizing Farmers Field Days in the friendly countries, since GOSL could not implement the following locations: programme alone due to the ravages of the war. If successfully implemented the five-year programme would boost rice production and, therefore, reduce the DISTRICT CHIEFDOM VILLAGE DATE rice importation cost, which is currently over US$40 Pujehun Malen Taninahun 15/11/1999 million per annum. Bonthe Yawbeko Talia 18/11 /1999 Kpanda Kemoh Mutuo 20/11/1999 Sogbini Semabu 29/11/1999 Bum Madina 20/12/1999 Imperri Mogbemo 14/12/1999 Bo Lugbu Kpetewoma 27/11/ 1999

PEMSD CARRIES OUT NEEDS THE INVITATION IS EXTENDED TO ALL ASSESSMENT EXERCISE

AGRISIL wishes to remind its readers that articles to be published in the newsletter should be received by the coordination unit (room 108) in the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Marine Resources YOOYI BUILDING before the 15th of the month. Comments and suggestions to improve the newsletter should be sent to fax no 00232 22 22 92 50 or e-mail [email protected]

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