By Paul Lamin in Kenema

The Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security with support from Farm Inputs Promotion Africa (FIPS- Africa and Seed System Group (SSG) has organized a week long training starting from  1st-7th July 2024 for farmers from four chiefdoms within the Kenema district.

The training was hosted at the Lambayama training center.

The District Agriculture Officer (DAO) and the lead facilitator for Kenema district, Mr. Matthew Mohamed Kenneh said the training was in the pilot stage targeting more than 2,000 farmers from Nongowa, Dama, Niawa and Small Bo  chiefdoms.

“The objective of the training is to reach as many farmers with the SMALL PACK initiative through the village based Advisors VBAs ensuring that lead farmers in their communities are charged with the responsibility of disseminating farm inputs to other farming groups.”

Matthew Mohamed Kenneh further stated that the project is also designed to ensure that farmers across the board to get access to improve variety of seeds (Seeds that will give them high yield return during harvest) from seed companies or agro-dealers for their farming activities.

The District Agriculture Officer said the training will also bring about collaboration and synergy between farmers and agro-dealers for easy access to farm inputs within their communities.

Mr. Kenneh assured farmers that the Small Pack project which started in Kenya has now been successfully implemented in more than 10 countries including Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Ghana and later Sierra Leone.

And in Sierra Leone seven extension officers were selected from the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security to participate and cascade the concept and training methodology to the country.

He advised the VBAs during the training that after going back to their communities, they should make sure that everything learnt at the training should be implemented and promised that he and other coordinators will monitor each VBA and farmers on their projects in various communities.

Chief Foday Tommy, a farmer as well as VBA from Small Bo chiefdom, said the training was very much important and timely, adding that some of the things taught were very much new to them.

He said before this time they had been getting information wrongly but the training had opened their understanding to many new ideas.

He appreciates the Government and the Ministry of Agriculture for their timely intervention as the country moves with the ‘Feed Salone’ initiative by President Julius Maada Bio.