Country presentation joint taskforce meeting - sierra leone

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COUNTRY PRESENTATIONSIERRA LEONE

BAGGIE, I. and

GEVAO, S. M. B.

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IntroductionSierra Leone is situated on the west coast of

Africa.

It has an area of 72,325 Km2, with a mean population density of 68.8 persons km2.

It lies between latitudes 6°55'N and 10°00'N (North to South), and from East to West between longitudes 10°14'W and 13°17'W.

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Climate• Sierra Leone is a tropical country with

temperatures averaging 800F (260C). • There are two seasons: 1) Dry Season -- November to April. 2) Wet season -- May to October This period is characterized by heavy rains

leading to high erosion and leaching of the top soil. Hence soils in Sierra Leone are generally poor.

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• A dry north-easterly wind called harmattan blow at intervals during December to February, accompanied by fine dust from the Sahara desert.

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Vegetation

There are two types of forest in Sierra Leone viz- tropical moist evergreen forest and moist semi-deciduous forest.

The tropical moist evergreen forest occurs where relative humidity is high, annual rain fall is greater than 2500 mm, and the dry season is not longer than three months.

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Agricultural population Sierra Leoneans has a population 4,976, 871, with an annual

population growth rate of about 1.9%.

More than 2/3 of the total population are either directly or indirectly involved in agriculture.

Only 15% of its arable land is currently being cultivated, because farming engages mostly resource-poor people who are affected by labour, resource and input constraint.

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Conclusively, the declining soil fertility, high weed competition, pest and disease damage, high post harvest losses, small farm holdings (usually between 0.4 to 1.0 hectare), lack of funds, the overdependence on the use of crude tools and the use of low yielding rice varieties are among the core constraints faced by rice farmers.

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UPLANDS Yields in uplands are comparatively low ranging

between 0.7 to 2.0 tons per ha.

The cropping system in the uplands involves the typical bush fallow shifting cultivation and as mixed cropping.

The rainfall is mono-modal. This can cause some amount of water stress for long duration rice crops.

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There are several problems both biotic and abiotic including weed, diseases like blasts and pests like armyworms, weevils and birds contribute to the poor yield in the uplands.

The Inland Valley Swamp The inland valley swamps (IVS) occur in low-

lying areas, often depressions and valley bottoms between adjacent valleys.

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They are perennial or seasonal type. The IVS are found in every part of Sierra

Leone. Traditional paddy yields in this ecology is

between 1.4 to 1.9 metric tons per ha but potential yields are between 3 to 4 metric tonnes in improved IVS.

Problems include limited water management, low fertility levels, iron and aluminum toxicity

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Mangrove Ecology Mangrove swamps are inundated by tidal

waves twice daily. Salinity, weeds and crabs poses serious problems.

Farmers plant relatively older seedlings and use more seedlings per hill, a measure to crab damage.

The dominant grass species in the mangrove ecology, Paspalum vaginatum (locally called Kere Kere) has robust rhizome roots making ploughing a difficult task.

The (1)Tidal mangrove swamps and (2)Associated mangrove swamps.

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Tidal Mangrove Swamps Tidal mangrove swamps are areas which experience

tidal movement of sea water twice daily. Based on the length of the salt free period, tidal mangroves are classified in to three categories.

Category 1: Mangrove that have a “salt free” period of less than four month. These swamps are located nearer to the sea coast.

Category 2: Mangrove areas under tidal flow but the "salt-free" period can last longer, i.e., from four to six months.

Category 3: Areas which are subjected to tidal flow for most of the year, but with a "salt-free" period of more than 6 months.

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Associated Mangrove Swamps They are located between the tidal swamp

and the upland. They are not subject to tidal floods but get

submerged with up to 20cm depth of water received as direct rainfall, runoff and seepage.

They are characterized by excessive grass and sedge weeds with fewer broad leaved ones (Agyen-Sampong et al., 1986).

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Boliland Bolilands are vast saucer-shaped and poorly

drained depressions lying between rivers.

Bolilands are generally low in cation exchange capacity and organic content and consist mainly of heavy clay or silt.

Yields in this ecology are generally low – about 1

ton per ha. Rice is cultivated in the bolilands once a year.

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Riverain GrasslandThe riverain grasslands are found mainly in the

south of the country (around the Sewa and Wanjei rivers).

These are the deep water terrain which carries standing water from 0.5m - 3.0m during the growing season.

They could be highly productive with a yield of between 2 to 3 tons per ha.

However, proper agronomic management, pesticide and no fertilizer application are some of the problems.

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NATIONAL RICE DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY (NRDS)

GOAL: To lay out a framework for significant increases in rice production in order to contribute to the improvement of food security and economic

development in Sierra Leone.

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES 1) Ensure an increase in the sustainable productivity and production of

rice. 2) Promote appropriate post harvest handling, processing and marketing

of rice 3) Develop appropriate infrastructure for rice production and marketing

4) Improve the capacity of stakeholders and institutions involved in rice sector

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EXPECTED OUTPUTSIncreased productivity per unit area - 4 tons

per hectareIncreased area under cultivation to 1million

hectares.Quality processed rice available in the local

market.Crop production intensified.

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Current Activities under CARDProposed ‘Africa Network for Agricultural

Mechanization’

Issues to be tackled: These include:Limited access of mechanization to smallholder

rice growing farmers. Limited availability of affordable machineries for

smallholder rice farmers. Inadequate trained manpower in maintenance and

fabrication of agricultural machineries Limited knowledge of farmers in the use, and

basic maintenance of farm machineries.

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SLARI core functions 1. Agricultural Research 2. Capacity Strengthening 3. Information and Knowledge 4. Advocacy

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SLARI Staffing Capacity

Research Coordinator /Soil Scientist

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Senior Research Officer /Agronomists

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Research Officer 13

Farm Manager 1

Research Assistants 3

Senior Fld. Superintendent 8

Assistant Farm Manager 1

Field Superintendent 2

Field Technicians 11

Senior Fld. Assistant 10

Field Assistant 7

Field Apprentice 13

Works Service Employee 51

RARC- Rokupr Agricultural Research Centre

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Agronomic activities The leguminous trees, Cassia siamea and Gliricidia

sepium produced significantly higher leaf biomass than Albizia lebbeck in alley cropping with rice in the upland. Biomass from G. sepium alley gave the highest contribution to soil nitrogen.

Broadcasting Sesbania rostrata at 10 g m-2 and incorporating the biomass after 3 - 4 weeks in the inland valley/mangrove associated swamp resulted in rice grain yield equivalent to the application of 20 kg N ha-1.

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The weed species Imperata cylindrica, Oryza longistaminata and Ischaemum rugosum were identified as possible host to the Rice Yellow Mottle Virus (RMYV).

Nematode infestation of seed rice was higher in tidal

mangrove swamps than in the associated swamps.

One handweeding at 6 weeks after planting followed by a single fertilizer application gave the best option for increasing rice grain yield in upland, inland valley and mangrove swamps.

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In the upland, genotypic differences in response to N at 80 kg N/ha as Urea and Gliricidia sepium were evaluated using 15N methodology. Regardless of rice genotype, higher grain and straw yields were obtained with organic fertilizer than with inorganic fertilizer.

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Varietal Screening for Resistance to ARGM: 100 rice cultivars/varieties were screened for resistance to ARGM in a ‘hot spot’ associated mangrove swamp at Rokupr.

The rice varieties exhibited differential

reactions to ARGM infestation ranging from 10% - 68% tiller infestations. Varieties showing better tolerance to ARGM included:

• TOX 3552 – 64-1-1-3, TN 1/BD 83-11, TN 1/BD 83-1, TOX 3440-16-3-1-1-2-1

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Varietal Screening for Resistance/Tolerance to Crab Damage: Crabs continue to be a major pest problem in the tidal mangrove swamp ecology. On hundred and three rice cultivars/varieties and advanced breeding lines were evaluated at Rokupr. Crab damage was determined as percentage number of hills or tillers/hill damaged at 5, 10 and 30 DAT. No fertilizer was applied.

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Uniform Blast Nursery (UBN): 39 selections from the previous year’s blast screening and 267 mangrove rice segregating populations were re-tested at 2 locations Rokupr and Kychom. The disease pressure at Kychom was low but adequate at Rokupr. Highly resistant lines included:

• B448-50-2-2-5-1-1, ECIA 136-2-2-1-4, IR

29723-143-3-1, ROHYB 4-WAR-1-3-B-2

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Effect of Sowing Dates on Grain Yield of NERICA Upland Rice Varieties and ROK 16.

Results indicate that early planting is good.

Results suggest general increase in yield due to PK manure but to date no confirm data because laboratory results. (Up to date results)

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Mechanical Cultivation Potential and Policy• Sierra Leone is working hard to attain food security.• In order to reach such a noble good, mechanical cultivation is seen

as a significant strategy among others.• Extensive grasslands and flood plains have been major attractions

for mechanical cultivation of rice and other field crops in Sierra Leone.

• It is estimated that potential land for large scale mechanical cultivation is in excess of 0.5 million hectares.

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Mechanical Cultivation Potential and Policy (cont’d)

• The use of farm power with emphasis on tractor remains the policy of Government to increase food and agricultural production particularly in view of the urgent need to attain food security.

• Taking into account the previous experience and present economic situation, Government of Sierra Leone made it a policy in 2006 to provide the services of tractors to farmers free of cost with beneficiaries being responsible for operational expenses. The policy also stressed that management must be on partnership basis.

• Current policy: The Government has recently introduced a Machinery Hire Purchase Scheme.

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Current Farm Power Used for Crop Production

• Farm power shortage at the farm level is one of the major and perhaps the most critical constraint to agricultural production and productivity in Sierra Leone .

• Over 80% of the total power required on the farm for crop production and post-production operations is provided by human labour using hand tool technology (HTT).

• Less than 1% is provided by draught animal power (DAP) technology (animal traction).

• The rest is contributed by tractor mechanization technology (TMT) or tractorization as well as a combination of HTT and TMT.

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Factors Responsible for the failure of Previous Mechanical Cultivation Scheme

• Mechanical cultivation has been on adhoc basis with hardly any clear policy

• Inadequate and untimely logistical support (ie. Untimely deployment of machinery)

• There is a general shortage of trained tractor operators and mechanics

• Tractors were brought into the country without adequate spares and implements

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• Ineffective maintenance schedules• Importation of wrong types of machines • Ineffective use of agricultural machinery and

equipment• Lack of an environment that encourages

participation by the private sector • Almost all the machinery used for tillage

purposes are manufactured outside of this sub-region and have to be imported, requiring large outlays of the limited foreign exchange

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• The insignificant number of commercial farmers who can afford to buy farm machines from machinery importers and service providers

• The lack of credit facilities for the small-scale farmers mainly because the Commercial Banks do not accept the traditional land ownership as collateral for granting farm loans

• The lack of adequately workshops to provide servicing facilities for the machinery

• There are very few adequately trained and skilled machine operators and mechanics in the country

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Strategies for Improving Farm Mechanisation in Sierra Leone

SHORT TERM INTERVENTIONS• Provide adequate farm machinery services, such as

tractors and harvesters.• Rehabilitate existing farm machinery workshops in

the country.• Conduct feasibility study into full-scale

mechanization of rice production in Sierra Leone• Prevent or reduce postharvest losses to the

minimum

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Strategies for Improving Farm Mechanisation in Sierra Leone

MEDIUM AND LONG-TERM INTERVENTIONS• Conduct feasibility studies for full-scale mechanization

in specific locations• Establish country-wide well-equipped workshops for

maintenance of machines• Train operators and mechanics• Establish specialized training facilities for machine

operators and mechanics• Establish crop processing centers• Introduce Machinery Hire Purchase scheme to promote

commercialization.

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POSTHARVEST TECHNOLOGY

•In the traditional set-up, post harvest technology may not be new but the systems used are inefficient and would need improvement. •Post harvest losses account for up to 25 per cent of losses on agricultural production in Sierra Leone.

• A reduction of these losses could substantially increase food production in the country without an increase in the acreages cultivated.

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POSTHARVEST TECHNOLOGY(cont’d)The primary constraints are:•Sierra Leone has a small nucleus of well qualified and trained manpower resources in the pos-harvest sub-sector.

•Funding, and

•Lack of suitable post-harvest technologies to extend to the farmers which are technically, socially and economically sustainable.

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Operation Traditional(%)

Improved (%)

Difference (%)

Reaping 4.99 4.25 0.74

Threshing 6.18 1.39 4.79

Drying 6.62 3.87 2.75

Milling 7.97 4.73 3.24

Total 25.76 14.24 11.52

Distribution of postharvest losses by methods and operation

Source: Agric. Sector Master Plan of Sierra Leone (1994)

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IMPORTANCE OF CROP PROCESSING

•Brings higher income to farmers by the sale of better quality products.

•Reduces losses during harvest and storage.

•Facilitates food distribution and minimizes food transportation costs.

•Generates better employment opportunities in rural areas which minimize the migration of youths to urban centers.

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IMPORTANCE OF CROP PROCESSING (cont’d)

•Improves the diet of the population by producing good quality farm products.

•Contributes to the gross national product by making farm products more competitive for the export market and thereby attracting more foreign exchange

•Raises the economic value of livestock enterprises by providing adequate and improved animal feeds.

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Distribution of Threshing Losses by Methods

Threshing Method

Traditional(%)

Improved (%)

Foot trampling 5.77 -

Stick threshing 8.14 -

IRRI thresher - 1.47

Average 6.95


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Distribution of Milling Recovery by Method

Type of Mill Milling Output (%) InputCapacity(kg/hr)Raw Parboiled Average

Laboratory Mill

70.7 71.0 70.9 0.2

Hand Pounding

65.5 67.5 66.5 6.5

Engleberg Mill

60.0 65.3 62.7 234.7

Rubber Roll Mill

64.7 70.3 67.5 351.8


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Studies Undertaken in the Area of Rice Postharvest Engineering (cont’d)

No. Name of Student

PROGRAMME Research Theme

1. MORIBA, Francis (2008)

M.Sc in Postharvest Technology

Milling Recovery by Hand Pounding of Paddy Rice as Influenced by Parboiling Methods in Sierra Leone

2. MARRAH, Mohamed (2010)

B.Sc (Hons) Agriculture

A Comparison of Some Physical Properties of Rice Grains of Upland Nerica Lines

3. LEIGH, Alpha Umaru (2010)


An Assessment of the Quality of Rice Grains Marketed in Sierra Leone

4. JALLOH, Sheku (2011)


The Influence of Grain Type on the Storage Quality of Milled Rice Sold in Urban Markets of Sierra Leone

5. SCOTT-MANGA, Jennifer (2011)

B.Sc (Hons) NFT The Effects of Parboiling Method on the Organoleptic Quality of Some Rice Varieties in Sierra Leone

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Studies Undertaken in the Area of Rice Postharvest Engineering

No. Name of Student

PROGRAMME

Research Theme

1. BEAH, J. (1988)

B.Sc Agriculture General

A Comparative Study of the different Methods of Parboiling Paddy with Special Reference to the Milling Quality

2. CONTEH, A.B.S. (1993)


Assessing the Milling Recoveries of Fifteen Rice Varieties of the Rice Research Station, Rokupr

3. MORRAY, Abdul (1996)


Assessing the Effectiveness of the Hand-Pounding Method of Milling Rice Using Three Different Pestle Ends (Plain wood, Iron and Rubber)

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CONCLUSIONS

• Quantification of losses is affected by a number of variables: mixed varieties, lodging, crop maturity, field conditions, family labour or hired labour, climatic conditions at harvest, etc.

• Domestic food availability could be significantly increased if the level of postharvest losses are reduced.

• Accurate assessment of postharvest losses requires considerable financial, human and transport resources.

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RECOMMENDATIONSTo reduce post-harvest losses in Sierra Leone:•Field losses at harvest, field drying, threshing, winnowing and drying after harvest need to be estimated.

•Improved storage systems need to be introduced and tested at the village level.

•Improved methods of grain handling need to be evaluated at the village level.

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RECOMMENDATIONS (cont’d)•Institutions for the promotion of post harvest technology need to be established.

•The causes of and methods of controlling losses should be given attention and publicity. •Reduction of postharvest losses must, in many cases, be tackled directly or as a by-product of other interventions.

•Farmer and staff training should e promoted.

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THANK YOU

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Country presentation joint taskforce meeting - sierra leone