OCTOBER 2020

The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) has on Friday 30th October 2020 engaged key agricultural private sector players on the need to popularize MAF policy shifts and to obtain their feedback in efforts to strategically plot the roadmap for effective policy design and implementation of these policy shifts. The engagement was held at the Golden Tulip Auditorium, Aberdeen Freetown.

Giving a keynote address on the Ministry’s policy shifts, the Acting Minister of Agriculture and Forestry- Abubakarr Karim maintained the robust effort of the government of Sierra Leone through MAF in revamping the agricultural sector. He particularly applauded the unshaking patronage shown so far by the Private Sector in changing the trajectory of the agricultural sector in Sierra Leone. He furthered that the need to popularize the Ministry’s policy shifts is very timely as the country’s agricultural sector has over the years been deprived of the attention it needs largely due to lack of access to finance, inadequate equipment for mechanised farming, lesser-private sector involvement, improper infrastructure among other challenges which have enormously contributed to crippling the country’s agricultural sector. He strongly acknowledged the importance of agriculture as he affirmed that over 90% of the Sierra Leonean population get their living from Agriculture. And that also, the sector constitutes 57% of the country’s total GDP. He concluded on His Excellency the president Rtd Brigadier Julius Maada Bio’s pledge made during the State Opening of Parliament to rebrand the narrative of the country’s agricultural sector through a presidential-led initiative which has already facilitated the procurement of 250 tractors, and is about to secure a $50 Million funding from the Bank of Sierra Leone to popularize key policy shifts on: input delivery, mechanization and agricultural investment. He therefore called on all private sector investors to help in the implantation of these policy shifts.

Contributing on the Ministry’s Policy Shifts, the Financial Secretary at the Ministry of Finance (MOF) – Sahr Jusu and the deputy Bank Governor at the Bank of Sierra Leone (BSL) – Dr. Ibrahim Lahai Stevens registered the government’s unflinching commitment through the MOF and BSL in supporting the agricultural sector. The Financial Secretary furthered on the note that; through these policy shifts MOF will work in concert with both the Bank of Sierra Leone and the World Bank to roll out quick action financial mechanisms that will benefit the agricultural sector in terms of providing lower interest loans to farmers, E-vouchers systems and farm service centres, etc.

The engagement was climaxed by some key private sector players who reaffirmed their dedication to help the Ministry’s effort in implementing these policy shifts. But they however called on the government to put the interest of the people above all else in the rolling out of these policy shifts.

Published By:
Agricultural Information and Communications Unit
Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry

The Parliamentary Oversight Committee on Agriculture and Forestry has on Wednesday 4th October 2020 engaged the leadership of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) to assess and evaluate the programs and activities of the Ministry in an aspiration to determine their promptness in moving forward the agricultural sector. The meeting was held at the ministry’s main conference hall, Youyi Building Freetown.

Giving an update on the Ministry’s programs and activities thus far, the Acting Minister of Agriculture and Forestry – Dr. Abubakarr Karim expressed his utmost estimation to the parliamentary oversight committee for spearheading such a productive engagement. He furthered on the note that; agriculture remains key priority under the new direction – for which he said through a concerted effort with the private sector and all other agricultural development partners, the Ministry has been able to implement vigorous agricultural policies which have made it possible for the sector to score significant goals including but not limited to the rehabilitation and maintenance of 162km of feeder roads in 6 districts, establishment of the Sierra Leone Agribusiness Development Fund (SLADF) with 16 agribusinesses being supported with an average of about $300,000, supported Njala University to conduct National Soil Survey, contracted the Sierra Leone Agricultural Research Institute (SLARI) to establish 15Ha of cocoa seeds in the Pendembu and Kpuwabu Research Stations with elite cocoa materials – all of these are among several other development indicators met by the ministry, he maintained . He added that; the Ministry is working relentlessly to bring to reality agricultural projects that would target the areas on; Rapid Onion Production, National Inland Valley Swamps (IVS) Tree Crops and Rice Production. He however lamented that regardless of all these successes scored so far, the Ministry is still faced with challenges on the areas of; limited access to agricultural financing largely due to limited and irregular government budgetary allocation, insufficient mobility to provide extension service, high demand for limited available machinery and limited private sector involvement. But he strongly reassured the Parliamentary Oversight Committee that all or some of these challenges would be addressed by the recently popularised Agricultural policy shifts which target to address age-old problems on Agricultural mechanization, Agricultural Input Delivery, Agricultural Financing and Agricultural Advisory.

In a response to the activities of the Ministry, the Chairman for the Parliamentary Oversight Committee on Agriculture and Forestry, Mr. Salliue Osman Sesay said he is elated to learn about the latest developments under the Ministry. He reassured the Ministry about their commitment to supporting the agricultural sector through a speedy facilitation of adequate budgetary allocation. He added also that; as part of the challenges faced by the Ministry, the committee will support the efforts of the ministry to ensure that a 5% of the country’s total GDP is allocated to the production of rice in the country. He however cautioned that; the Policy Shifts of the Ministry should be diligently implemented so they could serve their right purposes.

The engagement was climaxed courtesy of concerns raised by other members from the Parliamentary Oversight Committee who called on the Ministry to double up their efforts at every level of policy implementation. They entreated the ministry to pay keen attention to the policy shifts, especially the policy shift on Mechanization which is to be implemented under a Public Private Partnership (PPP) to manage the 250 tractors the government through MAF has procured.

Published By:
Agricultural Information and Communications Unit.
Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry