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SLeCAD Successfully Accomplished Good Agricultural Practices (Gap) Training For 600 Cashew Farmers In Bombali And Portloko, Karene and Kambia Districts in S/Leone
The Sierra Leone Chamber for Agribusiness development (SLeCAD) with funding support from the International Trade Centre (ITC) SheTrades West Africa Project build the capacity in Gender Inclusive Outreach and Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) training for 600 Cashew Farmers, SMEs and Traders. The objective of the training is to build the skills and improve the knowledge of 600 women and youths Cashew value chains farmer, SMEs and Traders in Good Agricultural Practices (GAP). The training will further identify gender-based constraints, how to address them, raise awareness about these constraints whilst employing best agricultural practices for improved cashew production, harvesting, and post-harvest handling that will facilitate trade and export. This will improve on the income of women and youth farmers, SMEs and traders, ensure increased investment, create jobs and wealth and enhance economic growth.click here for more
During the lunching of the event in Bombali districts, in March 2023, National Coordinator for the SheTrades West Africa Project in Sierra Leone Madam Khadija Barrie stated that, the aim of the project is to improve the position of Gender (Women) in different Agricultural value chains across four West Africa Countries. The project which stated in 2019 and ends 2023 will ensure that the skills and knowledge of women are improved in Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) in cashew farm management, processing, packaging that will enhance jobs and wealth creation goals, improve incomes and ensure inclusive growth.
Madam Khadija further stated that, SLeCAD is been the critical partner of ITC SheTrade West Africa to boost the Agricultural sector in Sierra Leone and ensure inclusive opportunities for women and youths. She inform participants that SLeCAD has a vast knowledge and network working along the agricultural value chains throughout Sierra Leone. And she also informed participants that ITC and SLeCAD have developed profile stories of outstanding female agri-entrepreneurs in the cashew sector designed to inspire other women to use existing opportunities in their communities to establish successful and sustainable agribusinesses.
In a virtual interview with the Executive Secretary of SLeCAD, Ahmed Nanoh, thanked ITC SheTrades West Africa for the support offered to SLeCAD and S/Leone in ensuring the capacity building of the women and youth cashew farmers in Sierra Leone. Mr. Nanoh stated that the training will improve the skills of the 600 women and youths in agronomy and cashew orchards management; post-harvest management and quality of cashew products; processing and value addition to cashew and -its by-products; market mechanism, nut and kernel market analysis; business relationships between stakeholders; value chain development; economics of cashew farming and processing, self-financing advice; price analysis and price formation; design and production of teaching/training materials as ToTs. Above all he confirmed that the training will creating awareness to the wider community to recognize women’s economic potential and value for the well-being of households and the community as a whole he asserted. The training will help to transform the women and youths into good private sector operators, create jobs and wealth, reduce poverty, expand government tax base, improve foreign exchange and enhance overall economic growth.
Representing SLeCAD at the workshop as facilitator Saidu issa Kamara express thanks and Appreciations to the International Trade Centre SheTrades West Africa for their support in capacitating the chamber. The impact this training will bring to the chamber membership cannot be overemphasize as the training methodology and approach is quite special and practical saidu ascends. He also admonished participants to value this opportunity as this training will help them on;
- Who does what in Cashew
- Good Agricultural practices in cashew
- Gender stereotypes
And many other important areas within their farming activities. He concluded that, if farmers make good implementation of the knowledge they will be acquiring on this all important training they will surly see a huge increase on their production.
SLeCAD Trains 500 Farmers in Bo, Kenema, Port Loko, Bombali, and Kono District of Sierra Leone.
The Sierra Leone Chamber for Agribusiness Development (SLeCAD) has trained 500 farmers out of 1,500 farmers to be trained under the European Union Boosting Agriculture and Food Security (BAFS) supported project in Bo, Makeni, Port Loko, Kono and Kenema districts on how to develop business plan, package products and market agricultural products along the agricultural value chain and maximize dividend in the agriculture sector.
Sierra Leone Chamber for Agribusiness Development Trains 300 Rice Processor and Producers in Sierra Leone
SLeCAD Trains Farmers Based Organizations across Sierra Leone
The Sierra Leone Chamber of Agribusiness (SLeCAD) trains Farmer Based Organizations (FBOs) on agribusiness, agro-industrialization and financial principles across Sierra Leone. The Chamber trained 40 FBOs in Kono District, 20 in Port Loko, 60 in Bombali and 20,with similar replicated in all districts across the country. The training was climaxed by the awards of certificates to each member of the forty participating organizations. Similar ceremony was replicated in all the districts across the country.
Coaching and Mentoring of Trainer of Trainees accross the districts
SLeCAD/giz Coaching and Monitoring of Selected Potential Trainer of Trainees (ToTs) from the previous Business Development Services (BDS) Training
SLeCAD Completed Ten Days Business Plan Documentary Training for 96 SME’s For SCADeP.
The Sierra Leone Chamber for Agribusiness Business Development (SLeCAD) as a partner to the world Bank funded SCADeP project, with supervision by the Ministry of Agriculture and forestry together with the Project Coordinating Unit (PCU) completedtendaysof business plan documentary training for 96 SMEs that fall within the SCADeP supported Value chains (Rice, Oil palm, Cocoa, poultry and Onions), there were five batches in three regional stations, Pot Loko one batch, Makeni two batches and Bo two batches respectively. The purpose of this training is to put all shortlisted SMEs on a level playing ground for a healthy and bias-free competition since the business plan will be used to get the final list, this statement was made by the Grant manager of SCADeP PCUAlimamy Kargbo, at every opening session for each batch.
For each batch at each station, the grant manager presented the overview of the
Smallholder Commercialization and Agribusiness Development Project
(SCADeP) ranging from the Background, Components, Funding Allocation and Key Achievements so far.
He also presented the overview of the Agribusiness Service Match Grant (ASMG) and the road map for the second call as of date. He continues to say that the shortlisting is done by the grant technical committee of SCADeP, this committee is composing of public and private institutions working together in implementing the SCADeP project. He also cautions the shortlisted SMEs that nobody has the right to take money from you as a way of benefiting from the SCADeP project not even myself, the process will be free and fear, even if I don’t like you will not stop you to be part of the beneficiaries only if you present the right business plan.
The sole aim of the training is the support in building the capacity of the shortlist SMEs for healthy competition in the final round of shortlisting,
The objective of the training is:
- To improve on the knowledge base on business operations cycle for 96 SMEs
- To improve on the Budget and financial management for 96 shortlisted SMEs
- To improve on the Knowledge on four stages in business plan
- To improve on the knowledge on how to ask for loan or grant from financial institution
SLeCAD, SCADeP empower famers on Marketing, Standards and Quality Trainings in Bo and Kenema
The Smallholder Commercialisation Agribusiness Development Project (SCADeP) as World Bank funded project managed and supervised by MAF has funded under the partnership support funds The Sierra Leone Chamber for Agribusiness Development (SLeCAD), and the Standards Bureau, to conduct specialised trainings in Marketing, Packaging, and Branding for agribusinesses, SMEs and farmers in the Southern and Eastern region of S/Leone.
The two days training which was organised in Bo city at the Agricultural Compound started on Thursday, March 25th 2021 and ended on the 26th March 2021 with the theme ‘Strengthening of Agribusiness SMEs Capacity in Marketing and Standards.’
The main objective of the training was to build the marketing, product development, packaging, labelling, branding and standards development capacities of SCADeP and SLeCAD supported agribusinesses, SMEs and Out growers in Sierra Leone to be able to have a competitive edge in the market place and run profitable and successful businesses create jobs and wealth, expand government tax base and ensure economic growth.
Trainers included officials from the Sierra Leone Standard Bureau, SLeCAD, SCADeP, and the Ministry of Agriculture, while the trainees include Agribusinesses, SMEs, farmers operating in the rice, cocoa, poultry, palm oil, cashew, cassava, soya beans, gari, maize and sorghum products value chains.
Giving an overview of SLeCAD, Executive Secretary of SLeCAD, Ahmed Aki Nanoh, explained that the aforementioned project has been executed in Sierra Leone under the Ministry of Agriculture with support from USAID ,World Bank, and EPP/GiZ since 2008.
He mentioned that the purpose of SLeCAD is to work with the Ministry of Agriculture, other MDS and partners to prepare farmers and agribusiness SMEs to develop private sector mindset, be industrialised and become investment ready through trainings that will make them to follow standards and inculcate good marketing practices so that their agricultural products will thrive in the local and international markets.
According to him, the activities of SLeCAD will help form a formidable private sector that will make the work of the ministry visible, and, by extension, positively impact on the economy of the country, by saving the 250 million United States Dollars spent on annual importation of rice alone, adding that if 50 million Dollars is given to each region, the country will be saved not only be poverty free but will be fee from food insecurity.
The Executive Secretary said SLeCAD is working with the World Trade Organization (WTO), International Trade Centre (ITC), the UN country Office and International Finance Cooperation (IFC), to develop a strategic plan used by the Chamber that will take Sierra Leone Agribusinesses and SMEs product internationally and help bridge the gap of food insecurity and poverty.
He noted that the role of the Ministry of Agriculture is to support with policies and technical know-how, that will be transferred to the private sector which will in turn help create jobs, reduce poverty and to make life better for all.
He said that agribusiness industrialisation is key for the economic transformation of Sierra Leone and that cannot be achieved without Agribusinesses and SMEs complying with entrepreneurs skills, standards, packaging, branding, and labelling. He emphasised that SMEs and farmers making the effort to acquire skills and knowledge of enterpreneurships, marketing and standards will attract financial services providers to finance their businesses.
In his statement, SCADeP representative southern region, and Team Lead for Value Chain Promotion Officers, Francis Sam Gbeinga, thanked SLeCAD for organizing such all-important program, noting that SCADeP is a sister project under MAF and partnering with SLeCAD, that seeks to promote agricultural productivity through linkages in selected value chains and improved access to markets, finance to ensure the development of inclusive smallholder farmer in targeted project areas of Sierra Leone.
He noted that if local farmers engage in large scale commercial farming and quality productivity it will help augment agricultural growth required to reduce extreme levels of poverty among smallholder farmers and promote nationwide economic growth.
He encouraged the agroibusiness, SMEs and farmers to engage in the production of high standard quality products wht will increase their market potential and ensure better price offers for their products.
Manager for Standards Department of the Sierra Leone Standards Bureau, Abdul Aziz Kamara, encouraged the Agribusiness Farmers to adhere to standards, adding that branding, packaging, and labelling are all requirements of standards.
He described standards as a norm and a way of life and admonished farmers to make sure they take their product to Standards Bureau to conduct measurement, fix expiring date, lab test and more. He said failing to follow those processes will amount to a crime and product of such cannot be put to market for sales or exported.
Mr. Aiah J. Thorlie, Director of Agricultural Extension in the Ministry of Agriculture, told the farmers that the only avenue left for government to supporting farmers is through the private sector, noting that by the next farming season, the private sector will be providing seedlings, fertilizers and machines for agribusiness farmers. He spoke about the Government new policy shift which is a good policy for private sector and will aid the transformation the agricultural sector and ensure improved industrialisation and enhance economic growth for the country.
He commended SLeCAD for organizing such a useful training, adding that the aforementioned is a body that is responsible for information flow, giving technical advice, and capacitating producers and processors of farm products, making it the body that will be directly interfacing with the farmers.
At the end of the training, agribusiness farmers expressed gratitude to SLeCAD and its partners for the wonderful capacity building training and promise to strictly put in practice what they have learnt within the two days.
