Sierra Leone government under the leadership of President Julius Maada Bio, has commenced the nationwide distribution of 20,000 fertilizers for farmers through the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security alongside the National Farmers Federation Organization.
The distribution process started last week Monday from the warehouse of the Agriculture Ministry at Bai Bureh Road, east of Freetown.
Speaking to journalists, Arthur Durotimi Roberts , Store Keeper, Ministry of Agriculture, said that out of the 30,000 bags, they are going to distribute 20,000 to farmers across the country. This, he said, will go for the 16 districts nationwide, as government support towards food sufficiency. Roberts added that the process is so transparent that even members of the Farmers’ Federation are also represented.
Farmers Federation President, Yatta Sama, said her organization is an umbrella governing all farmers nationwide. She added that Farmers and Farmers Organizations are supposed to be part and parcel of this organization, sressing that all they do is to see how best famers can be empowered and supported. She extended thanks and appreciation to President Bio for his vision on productivity.’’We want to change the narratives from subsistence to commercial farming’’ President Sama said. ‘‘We are thankful to President Bio for the support, as we witnessed and took part in the process of distribution of seedlings and fertilisers.
“If we are able to produce and export, it will help change the narratives on foreign exchange,” she said, adding that, “We are going to target the smallholder Farmers in different chiefdoms, though it is not enough for all. We will monitor the process nationwide, as we have executive members nationwide. Out of the 30,000, 10,000, she said, will be reserved for vegetable and maize growers. Madam Sama further maintained that for now they have a registered verified list of 68,000 farmers nationwide, and during this process, they will identify Farmers who are unable to provide for themselves. The Fertilisers, she said, will be handed to DOs in all districts, while the Cordinators will do the facilitation.
District Coordinator ,Kenema District, Safinatu Bockarie, said these fertilizers will help boost the support to farmers. She extended thanks and appreciation to government through the ministry of agriculture, pointing out that access to fertilizers was a big challenge in the past. She commended the process, expressing transparency and openness, adding that it is making it so easy for them to access the fertilizers. ‘‘Last year, distribution was chaotic, but this year is in order, as everything is in order, as compared to what happened last year, when people spent three to four days just to get fertilisers: but this year, within just a day, we are able to get our quota,” she said.
District Coordinator for Koinadugu District, Haja Kaday Sheriff, said that in Koindagu, they have a regisetered data base of 15,000 farmers, and among them, majority will benefit from this gesture. She therefore sent thanks and appreciation to government for this opportunity. Madam Sheriff also extended the same laurels to her President in the person of Madam Sama, whom she described as hardworking, committed and supportive to them. She explained that the supply and distribution of the fertilizers came at the right time, referencing the farming calendar. She said this will help yiled bomba harvest. She ended her statement by commending the government for the machines, fertilizers and seedlings, which she said came at the right time.