By Prince J Musa in Kenema
An International Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) operating on quality cocoa production in the Eastern Region, Solidaridad has undertaken a two-day capacity and empowerment training in Kenema for women in agriculture with a focus on cocoa farming and chocolate production.
The Programme Manager European Union Ann Marie Roorda said the cocoa project has been implemented in Sierra Leone and Liberia to help identify farmers engaged in cocoa farming, so as to ensure a sustainable economy.
She stated that the idea of women getting interested in cocoa and chocolate, in particular, was a laudable initiative that needed empowerment through training.
She noted that there are seven t5housand eight hundred and eighteen (7,818) beneficiaries in the boosting agriculture for food security initiative, with 558 of them being women while for the cocoa rehabilitation and intensification programme there is a total of fifteen thousand six hundred and fifteen (15,615) beneficiaries with 5,580 of them women. Roorda commended the women for their efforts to promote the agricultural value chain.
The District Coordinator South of the Produce Monitoring Board (PMB), Serena Saccoh, outlined the roles of the board in the cocoa sector in ensuring quality cocoa processing and improving the cocoa farms.
She said women were being encouraged to come on board and take the challenge of becoming Master Farmers in cocoa farming.
On behalf of the Ministry of Agriculture Kenema, the District Crop Officer, Kadijatu Alice Koroma commended Solidaridad for supporting the leadership training of women in cocoa farming.
She said Solidaridad has been the first organization to bring imported cocoa seeds that can grow within a two-year period for which she said the government was grateful.
She spoke about the importance of the Value Chain but also mentioned the need as a country to have factories that will help process cocoa to attract the international market thereby generating income.
Koroma appealed to the women not to take the back seat this time around and should redouble their efforts in cocoa farming.
’’With women in agriculture Sierra Leone will attain food security,’’ she said. She affirmed the Ministry’s support for women in agriculture and advised them not to depend on donor funds but to find ways for sustainability.
The President of the National Farmers Federation, Yatta Sama congratulated the women doing cocoa farming and promised to use her office to lobby with other partners for further empowerment of women.
She spoke about having Executive bodies that will handle the affairs of the women farmers and urged her colleagues to do more to improve their cocoa farms. She assured them that the federation will always stand for them and called for unity amongst them so that they can become successful farmers in their communities.
The essence of the session was to help the women to address various issues and to connect with each other, as they go about their cocoa farming.
Copyright © 2022 Politico (13/07/22)
