85-IVS in Bombali and Tonkolili Districts received AVDP Covid-19 Boost

By: Alusine Rehme Wilson – (AR-WILSON)✍️

With support from IFAD, the Agricultural Value Chain and Development Project-(AVDP) in collaboration with the Government of Sierra Leone has on Thursday, August 20, donated seed rice and farming tools to eighty-five inland Valley Swamps-(IVS) farmers groups at Robole Junction, Makoloh 1 and 2 communities located in the Tonkolili and Bombali district in the northeastern region of the country.

A high powered delegation comprising staff of AVDP Bombali and MAFS Tonkolili led by the Deputy Minister-I of Agriculture and Forestry, Samking Koihinah Braima, who was on an evaluation tour visited and engaged group leaders in all three communities.

The delegation upon arriving at Robole Junction community, proceed to one of the IVS farm site before a symbolically presentation of the seeds rice and other production materials to Pa. Joseph Kalokoh, a lead farmer, with 13 years IVS-farming experience was done by the minister, who admonished beneficiaries to obey Government and partners health laws on COVID-19 to help combat the virus and to use the supply for its intended purpose.

He further assured of government continued support to boosting agriculture in the entire country. 

On behalf of the 25-IVS farmers groups, Pa. Kalokoh who happily received the supply, promised the minister and team that Robole Junction community will put into the best use as required for by the donors at the same time all what thanked AVDP and partners for considering their community in such a trying period.

At the Makoloh community center where executive members of the 60 IVS-Farmers groups of Makoloh one and tow confirmed to have received seed rice, cutlasses, hoes, shovels, head pans and rice sickles, there was singing and dancing by community members and thus expressed their happiness for the support to delegation.

According to AVDP’s Agronomist, Alpha Samai Nabie, the eighty-five farmers groups benefited from the response supply because they met the earlier evaluation conducted by AVDP which seeks to support farmers groups that have already rehabilitated and developed their Inland valley swamps from previous support acquired from IFAD programs such as BAFS and SEP simply because these set of farmers who have undergone series of cultivation-circles until their work was hard hit following the outbreak of Corona virus in Sierra Leone in March similarly as the pandemic has ravaged the agricultural sector in other countries around the world.

“The Covid-19 support package for these set of farmers is huge, starting from our AVDP staff prior identification and setting up of executives for these farmers groups, supplied seed rice, assorted farm tools and also provide fertilizers after 21 of planting plus financial assistance to cover the labor cost for all eighty five IVS-Farmers.

“Our AVDP team of agricultural experts will also provide capacity building training to all 85 IVS groups based at Makoloh one and two in the Paki Masabong Chiefdom as well as Robole Junction in Kholifa Rowalah Chiefdom in Tonkolili District as we look forward to supply them more rice should they handle well this support,” Alpha Samai disclosed.

He further said that, AVDP appreciates the Central Government’s collaboration so far. This is why our Northern Region team have been providing support to farmers in Bombali, Tonkolili, Koinadugu and Falaba Districts which has help create change in the lives of many Sierra Leoneans through farming at the same time complement Government’s vision for food sufficiency in the country.