By Politico Staff Writer
The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry through the Regional Rice Value Chain Project (RRVCP) has commenced harvesting of 264 hectares of farm rice at Batiwayah in Bum Chiefdom, Bonthe, in Southern Sierra Leone.
The Project says the harvesting this October is among first of many that will follow in other surrounding villages. The Project is also set to commence harvesting in Samu and Mambolo Chiefdoms in the Kambia district after the exercise at Tormabum would have been completed.
The project made use of mini combined harvesters with thresher in order to ease the harvesting process. This enables harvesting without using the orthodox method of slicing with a sickle. The new process benefitted over six hundred (600) farmers at Batiwayah.
One of the master farmers in Tormabum, Jonathan Borbor Kposowa, expressed delight for the new equipment used in the harvesting process. He said that he is elated for the support rendered to them with regards the harvesting. The traditional ruler called for more support in order for them to be able to increase production by next year.
The RRVCP believes that the project is timely since the harvested rice appears to be yellowish in colour and that this will avoid high post-harvest loss.
The said project is being funded by the World Bank, Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA) and the Government of Sierra Leone. This is the start of an extensive scheme by the present government to grow more rice in the country so as to cut down on importation of the staple food. Annual importation of rice by the private sector is well over two hundred million dollars per year.
Copyright © Politico Online 25/10/21
