By Nasratu Kargbo
The District Agricultural Officer at the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Abass Conteh has explained that with support from the Foundation for Rural and Urban Transformation (FoRUT) they have trained farmers on how to preserve their products.
Conteh was speaking at FoRUT’s handing over of startup kits to their beneficiaries on the 7th of Mach 2024, highlighting the relevance of preservation. He said farmers who might have harvested their produce but face challenges in taking them to the market can have them preserved due to the training acquired, before selling.
The farmers were also trained on value addition and on how to deal with pests. Conteh pointed out that Sierra Leoneans mostly value and appreciate products that are imported due to packaging even though some of the local products are better than those imported. He said farmers do not add value to their products to make them attractive.
He urged the farmers to make use of the skills acquired and to take care of the startup kits given to them, as they would have to buy the kits themselves should they lose them.
Conteh encouraged the farmers to continue the good work, stating that the farming they practice in the Western Area is more advantageous as compared to the provinces’.
Farmers in the Western Area can harvest and take their produce to the market the same day, whilst those in the provinces would have to travel with their produce to Freetown.
He said this was what led to the establishment of the Farmer Field School where farmers are trained by the agriculture ministry.
Watering cans, shovels, hoes, and working gloves were some of the items given to the farmers.
The beneficiaries were drawn from the Tombo, Gloucester, and Kissy Town communities. Welding, hairdressing, tailoring, carpentry, and catering were the other sectors other people were trained in, apart from farming.
Both genders were part of the training; however, most of them were young mothers, with babies or toddlers and pregnant girls. Thirty-five people benefitted from the training.
Copyright © 2024 Politico (13/03/24)
