Fostering Smallholder Agriculture in Sierra Leone… COOPI Trains PMB Staff on Cashew and Honey Production Technology

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

As they make progress in improving the lives of farmers involved in Cashew cultivation and Honey production in Kambia, Bombali, Karene and Port Loko district, Cooperazione Internazionale (COOPI) with support from the European Union has offered four days capacity building training to nineteen (19) staff of the Produce Monitoring Board (PMB) Sierra Leone and two extension staff from the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) and two field staff from MADAM (a local NGO) in Bombali on Cashew and Honey Production Technology .

According to COOPI Program Manager, Muhammad Monoarul Islam, the training which is conducted in Makeni city will end on Friday 28th August 2020.

He mentioned that it is part of their agenda to accelerate production and productivity of cashew in the country. The Pro-Resilience Action (ProACT 2015) aimed at improving food and nutritional security status of their targeted communities in the northern Sierra Leone.

“We have been closely working with the Produce Monitoring Board (PMB) through the PRO-ACT 2015 Project. We learnt that though PMB is working to protect the farmers interest but have very limited technical knowledge on Cashew, and Honey production and management which is why we stepped in with this training on cashew and honey production technology to enable them acquire basic knowledge and expertise”.

“The participants will learn from this extensive four days training: unique skills on Cashew production and management from nursery to post harvest management, honey production and harvesting and will embark in the final day of the training on a field trip too so that participants can have a real taste of the whole cashew life cycle ”. Islam explained.

At the end of the training PMB staff are expected to provide technical advice to farmers when necessary, appropriately follow up on the activities of the Cashew Processing Units (CPUs), support Cashew based farmers organization to prevent farmers from buyer’s exploitations, Islam told Northern Times.

On behalf of the trainees, Didan Sankoh, the Director of Produce Monitoring Board (PMB), Sierra Leone expresses gratitude to COOPI for organizing such a training which he described as a very timely move. He underscored that their partnership with COOPI has been very good and that COOPI have so far established six CPUs in their operational areas which PMB as monitoring body task with the job to ensure that those CPUs are functional and are able to provide services to farmers to help them realize benefit from the sales of their produce. 

He admits that PMB has been disorganized due to the lack of a specified document that specifies the does and don’ts of farmers, buyers and all players in the sector since one which is now out of use was reviewed in 1975.

“We have been making efforts to draft a new document for the sector and this training will play a vital part in finalizing the document,” he assured.  

In his statements, COOPI Head of Mission to Sierra Leone, Marco Geuna, hailed the staff of COOPI Northern region for the development strides that are making in the lives of Cashew producers through the Pro-Act 2015 project.

“I am aware that this training is will help to broaden the understanding of PMB staff nationwide on the technology of cashew and honey production which will play a vital part for efficient monitoring on cashew and honey marketing for the good of both the farmers and the Government.”I’m so far impressed by the work our team and PMB have been engaged with the farmers and its successes. With such pace I am sure our partnership with all partners including Inter-Aide will boom.” He remarked.

The Bombali District Agricultural Officer, David Salieu Sellu also witnessed and chaired the inauguration ceremony last Tuesday at the MADAM conference hall in Makeni, Bombali District in the Northern province of Sierra Leone and also commended COOPI for their work in his district of operation.