Director of Agriculture says Narica rice production is big success
Port Loko, June 3 (SLENA) – If the determination of the people of Port Loko District in the promotion of agricultural activities is to be emulated by farmers in other regions of the country, then the ultimate goal of National Food Security is bound to be achieved even before the slated period.
This is the belief of the District Director of Agriculture in the Port Loko District, Eddie Laya Bewoh who based his assessment on the tremendous input so far made in the agricultural sector. He said the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food Security has not only made some value addition to the produce of farmers, but has also constructed several Agricultural Business Centres, rehabilitated feeder roads and established a lot of Demonstration Farms in addition to the Massive Tree Crop production in the district.
The Port Loko District Director of Agriculture made reference to the 66,000 Cashew and other assorted seedlings he has at hand for onward distribution to interested persons and the Multi National NARICA Rice Dissemination Project [MNRDP] which was started in 2005 in a bid to produce NARICA Rice Seed for dissemination to viable Farmer Groups and Potential Farmers in the district.
He said the NARICA Project kicked off with four components including Demonstration, Participatory Varietal Selection in Farmer Plots, and the Community Based Seed Multiplication (CBSM) for which 62.5 Kg was provided to each community.
Joseph Sahr Karimu is the Extension Officer and Head of NARICA Seed Project in the district. He said support was also provided to farmers in the form of Seed Rice, Fertilizer, Tools, Jute Bags, Tarpaulin, Insecticides and Tractors.
In terms of Infrastructure, the Project Officer said Grain Stores equipped with De stoner, Drying Floor, Thresher and Rice Mill were offered to farming groups. in an interview with the Sierra Leone News Agency (SLENA), the Extension Officer said the farmers also benefited from training Workshops on Rice Production Techniques, Tools Management, Fertilizer Application Methods, Herbicide and Insecticide Application including Harvesting and Post Harvesting.
He explained how the district received a 100 kg of Foundation seed rice from Benin through the Sierra Leone Agricultural Research Institute (SLAR) to the ministry and that the consignment was distributed to three viable Farmer Groups in the Maforki Chiefdom to carry out the multiplication exercise through Line Planting.
According to Councillor Hassan Mustapha Kamara who is also the Co coordinator of the Mamomoya Farmers Association, one of the three viable Farmer Groups selected for the Pilot Phase, NARICA has eased a lot of constraints left behind by ASREP, another Agricultural Project that was operating in the district.
While expressing thanks and appreciation to the Management of NARICA for the timely intervention, a Master Farmer in the person of Abu Bakarr Kamara said their production has been immensely improved with quality seeds. He said they have now realised that Line Planting is far better than their age old system of random planting. He said his Association would therefore be very much happy if the project could help them with a Store, Thresher and a Drying Floor to address the issues of post harvest loss.
By Hassan Bruz
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