Brewery Holds Top Sorghum Workshop with Visitors & Top Sorghum Farmers in Kambia District
By Ranger
The Sierra Leone Brewery Ltd. (SLBL) on Thursday, 8th December, 2016 successfully hosted and concluded a massive event in Kambia District, northern Sierra Leone.
The event took the form of a well-attended workshop with top sorghum farmers in Sierra Leone at the Rokupr Community Center in Kambia Town, Kambia District northern Sierra Leone.
After formal introductions were made, the team which comprised of visitors Paul Stanger, Director of Local Sourcing AMEE (African Middle east and Eastern Europe) Heineken International, Niels Hanssens, Deputy Executive Director EUCORD (European Cooperative for Rural Development), Wendela Huisman, Policy Officer, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, The Netherlands together with Dr. Dennis Taylor, SLARI (Sierra Leone Agricultural Research Institute), Mr. Denis Jusu, President Sorghum Farmers Association Sierra Leone, Mr. Albert Ojo Collier, Corporate Relations Manager, Sierra Leone Brewery Limited (SLBL), Maria Singco, Sorghum Purchasing Manager (SLBL), Mr Unisa Conteh, Corporate Relations Assistant, SLBL and Councilor Bai Sama Bangura of Ward 119, Rokupr, Kambia District were taken on a conducted tour at a SLARI demonstration farm where the visitors spoke with the farmers and took interviews with the local media.
Speaking to Mr. Paul Stanger and Dr. Dennis Taylor, they maintained that sorghum is a dry land crop which matures early. They added however that at times the crop germinates wrongly due to humidity and that for some varieties of sorghum, it takes longer for them to mature. Dr. Dennis Taylor added that SLARI is experimenting with sorghum varieties which are well adapted to the rains and to see how acceptable farmers can cultivate sorghum off season as they do with maize and other crops.
Mr. Paul Stanger said that an exotic variety of sorghum which is harvested in Nigeria and Burundi could be good for Sierra Leone, while Dr. Dennis Taylor mentioned that the "local varieties are mostly used in Sierra Leone but an exotic variety originally from Nigeria is being evaluated."
Mr. Paul Stanger went on to say that he is part of the team to Sierra Leone because Sierra Leone is important to them. He added that he is happy to see that the Brewery is doing well and that it is using more locally produced sorghum which in turn is boosting the economy of the country as making sorghum farmers wealthy. He commended the Sierra Leone Government for changing the legislation to be in favor of local production, adding that he is also happy that government policy and recent tax reduction strategy for locally produced is very encouraging both for the Brewery and for farmers to find better varieties of sorghum to increase yields.
He further said that the project initiated by The Netherlands government in conjunction with SLBL and EUCORD for the growth of sorghum ends in 2019. He added that he is optimistic that by then sorghum farmers would have greatly increased their yield and would have been able to be independent. He maintained however that the current volume of sorghum being produced in the country is very encouraging, adding that the farmers should be looking at ways they can better access the market as well as organize themselves better for their overall development.
Niels Hanssens, Deputy Executive Director EUCORD, added that "EUCORD are ready to collaborate and support until 2019".
In her contribution, Wendela Huisman, representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands said that the Netherlands government is happy to cooperate with Heineken and EUCORD in improving the livelihoods and food security of the sorghum farmers and their families and communities. She added that the Dutch government has decided earlier this year to extend the project to the end of 2019 and to make extra budget available in order to support the communities in their recovery from the tragic Ebola period. She maintained that at the end of the project the aim is for farmers to be able to work independently with commercial buyers such as the brewery in a way that is sustainable for them and their communities.
Dr. Dennis Taylor from SLARI added that “we have not actually completed analysis, but what we have seen with the locals in the present variety is tends to have superior yields and they would see how it does across Sierra Leone before we could make any recommendation." He added that when they do evaluation they would know what to recommend.
After the team returned to the hall, it was the turn of Councilor Bai Sama Bangura of Ward 119, Rokupr, Kambia District. He thanked the visitors for their support and prayed for their safe return. He encouraged them to continue to assist the SLBL and also encouraged sorghum farmers across the country not to relent but to do more.
In his message of thanks and appreciation, Mr. Albert Ojo Collier, Corporate Relations Manager, Sierra Leone Brewery Limited (SLBL) commended the visiting team for their support to Brewery over the years. He stated that when it comes to Brewery, it is about the entire country, adding that it is very beneficial for both the farmers and the country as a whole to invest massively in growing the best sorghum and coming forward with the best yields. He reminded his audience that the government has put in place laws with encourages local content and therefore encouraged the farmers to continue growing large quantities of sorghum, adding that the more sorghum they grow the better. He also commended SLARI for its scientific intervention at improving sorghum variety which has led to greater yields.
The session climaxed with a question and answer session from the farmers to the visiting team and refreshments followed.
No comments:
Post a Comment