Issue No 2 Sierra Leone October 1999
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ISSUE NO 2 SIERRA LEONE 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 BONTHE DISTRICT 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