President Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma Speech On Agriculture Before the outbreak of Ebola, we had challenges in the agricultural sector. But out actions in the sector have resulted in increases in farmer field schools, farmer based organization, and agricultural business centers. Plant health clinics have been established, and thousands of hectares of tree crops and inland valley swamps rehabilitated, in addition to the establishment of rural and community banks and financial services associations. We have been facilitating more private sector investments in the sector, and to strengthen the interface between agriculture and local governance, we are constructing offices for all councillors and their ward Development committees. We are also acting on the finalization, resource mobilization and launching of medium to long-term successor programme to the smallholder commercialization Programme. The Ebola outbreak is halting implementation of many activities in the sector. Farmers constitute over 20% of those infected by the virus. Also the disease has mostly affected the 21-59 age bracket that are most active in communities, resulting in loss of farm labour. Fear and panic among farmers led many to abandon their farms. The onset of the Ebola outbreak coincided with the land preparation and planting season in Kenema and Kailahun; the main harvesting period of rice in the Northern Province; and the harvesting season of cocoa in the Eastern Province. But we are now commencing actions to limit the disruptions and get the sector ready for a rapid post Ebola recovery. With support from IFAD and FAO, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food Security has mobilized the provision of preventive care items in nearly six hundred agricultural facilities such as the ABCs, the banks and and the offices of the Ministry countrywide. Out of the USD30m committed by the FAO to the three Ebola-affected countries, Sierra Leone will get USD 13m. By Koroma APC
Posted on: Mon, 08 Dec 2014 15:07:15 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015