The Parliamentary Oversight Committee on Agriculture, Forestry and Food Security, has called for stricter coordination and improved accountability in fertilizer importation, agro-dealer licensing, and the monitoring of agro-chemical distribution across Sierra Leone.

During a recent engagement, the Committee probed the regulatory framework and operational challenges facing the agency responsible for overseeing fertilizer quality control and private sector involvement in the agriculture supply chain. The Chairman of the Committee emphasized the need for clear data on licensed agro-dealers, transparent registration systems, and timely monitoring of imported fertilizer products to avoid the infiltration of substandard goods into the market.

Officials representing the regulatory agency clarified that their role is primarily to enforce compliance and quality assurance, not to directly manage field-level operations.

They reiterated their responsibility to ensure that fertilizers and agro-inputs entering the country meet international standards, especially those set by ECOWAS.

This involves pre-clearance inspection, sample testing, and certification, ensuring that only authorized, trained, and registered companies are permitted to distribute these products locally.

“Once a fertilizer consignment arrives at the port, we do not allow its clearance until we have conducted laboratory tests and validated its quality,” the agency’s representative stated.

The agency outlined its private sector-driven approach, noting that over 500 agro-dealers have been registered under a system that grants them a three-year license, aimed at reducing the administrative burden of annual renewals.

The registration also includes mandatory training, ensuring that dealers are well-versed in best practices and regulatory expectations.

However, the Committee raised concerns over the validity and reliability of the registration database, stressing that some dealers may have exited the business without notifying the agency, potentially distorting national agro-dealer statistics.

“We need up-to-date data on who is active in this sector. It is misleading to quote figures from five years ago when many of these businesses may have ceased operations,” one Committee member noted.

The agency acknowledged this concern, explaining that the three-year licensing window was designed to track active participants. Dealers who do not renew after three years are automatically flagged as inactive.

There was also emphasis on institutional collaboration, as the board overseeing the agency includes representatives from across the agriculture and regulatory landscape, including members appointed by the President and other statutory institutions.

“We’re building systems that reflect the reality of the private sector, while safeguarding the integrity of agricultural inputs.

Quality assurance is not optional—it’s the foundation of food security,” the agency official emphasized.

The Committee concluded by reaffirming its support for regulatory efforts but urged the agency to improve communication with Parliament, strengthen monitoring systems, and ensure prompt enforcement against defaulters.

This oversight marks a significant step toward tightening quality control in agricultural input supply and fostering a more accountable agro-dealer ecosystem in Sierra Leone.