Welthungerhilfe in collaboration with the European Union, Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security and MOAWOMA has on Monday 11 November 2024 opened a two-day Cocoa conference at the Bintumani Hotel, Aberdeen in the West End of Freetown.
The conference which attracted cocoa farmers from across the board set the stage for fruitful deliberations of critical issues boarding around the growth and development of the cultivation of the cash crop in Sierra Leone.
Addressing participants at the opening of the two-day conference, WHH Sierra Leone Country Director Emmanuel Octave Bananeza underscored the significance of partnership and collaboration with development partners. He said the conference was made possible through the collective efforts of all partners saying; “it has been made possible through partnership with the European Union and the Government of Sierra Leone”. He called on the EU and farmers across the country to continue to work closely as the conference purpose falls within the four pillars of ‘Feed Salone’.
WHH Sierra Leone Country Director Emmanuel Octave Bananeza informed that WHH in collaboration with other partners are at advance stage of working with Njala University to produce cocoa powder among other value added agricultural products.
Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Dr. Henry Musa Kpaka disclosed that Feed Salone is not only about rice, describing the promotion of cocoa cultivation as one of the country’s major cash crops as a big deal. Dr Kpaka informed that good number of development partners have made lots of contributions in cocoa farming. He expressed doubts the accuracies of data on the average number of cocoa trees in the country. He encouraged all that agriculture has the potentials of changing so many aspects of the country’s economic outlooks through industrialization. He extended his profound gratitude and appreciations to the EU and farmers present at the conference, noting that the cocoa market is below 12,000.
The Deputy Vice Chancellor and Principal Njala University, Professor Allieu Bah explained that NU is charged with the mandate of teaching and the conduction of researches. Prof. Bah informed that cocoa is one of the major cash crops that earn Sierra Leone foreign exchange. He schooled farmers on the basic steps in undertaking cocoa farming, pointing out that critical moment required to be strictly observed in the production of cocoa. Prof. Bah explained that in cultivating a cocoa farm, one has to consider the type of soils and choose the right seedlings.
Rain fall agriculture he said is what Sierra Leone depends on not irrigations, hence encouraged farmers to set for July and the plant will be strong enough to survive by the end of July being very strong in the soil.
He said NU is in the work in partnership with government, noting that the university trains all staff of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security.
Significant contributions were also rendered in by the president of the Sierra Leone Farmers’ Association among host of other dignitaries.
