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CADS
COMMUNAL FARMING SYSTEM (CFS)
APPROACH
IN AGRICULTURAL SECTOR DEVELOPMENT
SEED MULTIPLICATION FARMS PROJECT FOR REHABILITATION, CONSOLIDATION AND
EXPANSION
OF THE AGRICULTURAL SECTOR
IN SIERRA LEONE.
Executive Summary
The agriculture sector has been one of the viable sectors in the country that has benefited a lot of people through individual initiatives. It has benefited medium to small scale farmers, and most are subsistence producers. Food crops produced include rice, cassava, yam, sweet potatoes and vegetables.
CADS Sierra Leone has been very supportive in providing needed assistance to these farmers to improve their productivity and economic development. In 1996 the center's research and development department conducted a Needs Assessment exercise trying to find ways to develop a more viable agricultural sector development scheme that would enhance farmers productivity as well as helping the center toward financial independence, more so supporting its extension work that is capable of helping more and more small and medium scale farmers.
The Communal Farming Systems (CFS) strategy was recommended and by 1997/98 planting season this unique system was proven to be a workable agricultural strategy for sustainable rural community development. Notwithstanding the violent incursions by the RUF in January and July 1998 that brought tremendous loss to the pilot scheme, the CFS approach was proven to be workable. Most participating farmers who were participating partners of CADS in implementing the CFS strategy had to abandon their villages and farms. The center's offices were looted and vandalized and seeds, equipment, food for work in storage were also looted and/or destroyed. Total loss was estimated at Le23,000,000. The communal farming system scheme was thus badly affected, but we were able to prove the system to be viable by results evaluated from four (4) participating farming communities which were not directly affected by rebel activities.
The villages were able to harvest their crops and participating farmers derived their percentage and CADS also derived its percentage from the harvested crops. The CFS system proved very successful in all the four communities not affected by direct rebel activities. The rehabilitation, consolidation and expansion of the CFS scheme therefore intends to build on the experiences of this proven agricultural development strategy for sustainable rural community development. The general objective of the project is to broaden the economic base of and seeds availability for planting during subsequent crop seasons by the farming communities in Koya and York Rural. Priority will be given to the rehabilitation and consolidation of the CFS program.
The program will also encourage women to actively participate in the project through exclusively managed women farming associations.
The project will be coordinated by CADS, and will be open for evaluation by the funding agency and the extension services of the Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources. The project is estimated at $68,000, project funding expected to come from donors. Direct administrative expenses of the project not included in this estimated amount as the center commands the ability to pay its administrative and field staff at all times.
Background:
Sierra Leone is fundamentally an agro-rural nation state. But the agricultural sector, in particular, the food and cash crop sub-sector, has performed poorly over the past decade, and the first priority for economic growth in Sierra Leone is to put agriculture moving again. The sector's poor performance has resulted from serious policy distortions, enfeebled sector institutions, deteriorating infrastructure, acute shortages of essential inputs, falling international prices for the main export commodities, and more recently disruption of farm production by war disturbances. The rural economy is now near standstill.
But the agricultural resource base is rich, large tracts of arable land remain uncultivated, and the prospects are good for raising yields on small holder farms and creating economic surpluses over and above their subsistent needs.
The primary objectives of the agricultural strategy (the communal farming System) recommended by CADS are to promote sustained growth of agricultural output, food security and the reduction of poverty. The core of the strategy is facilitating the transition from shifting to settled agriculture which is essential to deal with all other problems in agriculture and management of the country's natural resources. In this transition, lowlands and uplands must be developed together.
The primary focus should be on rice, the main staple, but a strong development program is also needed for other crops especially cassava and sweet potato for which improved varieties have been developed, and vegetables.
Just as the emphasis on rice must be supported by strong efforts to develop other food crops, the emphasis on food must go hand in hand with rehabilitation and diversification of agricultural production for export. Each is needed to support the others.
It is critical to improve the productivity of, and returns to, farm labor. Increased food production will help to hold down the costs of labor in order to keep domestic agricultural production capabilities imports, and make it easier to provide the incentives needed for labor use to increase in agriculture in the short run. Increased food production, together with additional employment it will support, will also address directly the food security concerns of those whose incomes are too small to allow them adequate nutrition. A common thread running through the strategy is development of the private sector, though empowerment of farmers, encouragement of farmer associations, and establishing a policy and regulatory climate conducive to private sector marketing of inputs and outputs, processing, transportation and exporting.
II. The Communal Farming System (CFS) Strategy in Agricultural Sector Development.
Program Rationale and Justification:
There are reportedly 400,000 farm families in Sierra Leone (about 60% of the population). From these families, among others, an estimated 120,000 labor in diamond and other mining enterprises are drawn. The average life expectancy of 42 years is among the lowest in the world, and may have declined somewhat during the past decade. The combination of health and nutrition problems which result in a very low life expectancy ensures high ratios of dependents working adults. There is also a rapid rate of urbanization arising from lack of general economic opportunities in rural areas and possibly the lure of cheaper food in Freetown. All these factors taken together have raised the age rates needed to obtain labor for agriculture.
The CFS agricultural development strategy which benefited 17 rural communities in the Koya and York Rural in 1997/98 planting season, is therefore trying to emphasize ways of increasing the productivity of labor employed in agriculture, making agriculture more economically viable as well as making rural communities more habitable.
The center observed during its 1996 Needs Assessment exercise that farmers have a very serious problem in terms of access to rice and vegetable seeds, farm tools and fertilizers which for a long time have affected the potential for expanded agricultural production.
The CFS agricultural development strategy was thus carefully designed to address the problem of farmers access to farm inputs. The CFS approach is a joint venture scheme between CADS and its membership farming associations. The system is offering full time cooperation with farming associations. The rationale for the strategy is the center's responsibility of providing its farming associations with all the tangibles they need to improve the productivity of, and returns to farm labor. These tangibles refer to farm inputs - seeds, tools and fertilizers and food-for-work which have a money value to access which most farmers could not afford.
CADS, through the CFS agricultural development strategy provides these inputs to its membership farming associations. The system itself demands village communities to form Communal Farming Associations comprising of individual small farmers who join these associations, headed by the village chiefs and/or elders. The reason for these farm associations is to make it easy for the center to deal with small farmers in the various village communities through the farming associations themselves. The center's CFS strategy therefore provides for the center to work directly with the farming associations, entering into a CFS joint venture agreement which dictates the center providing farm inputs to small farmers in the various rural communities of Koya and York districts, through the farm associations, in return for the small farmers who are members of the communal farming associations to provide the land and labor.
The CFS strategy itself encourages farmers independence. The center works through farming associations headed by the community chiefs and/elders, and this provides the independence for village communities to work among themselves which makes the system itself very effective. The Chairman or chairlady of the various farming associations in the Koya and York Rural receive the farm inputs provided by CADS as dictated by the CFS joint venture and they distribute these inputs to their small farmer subjects only when they have verified their small farmer subjects have secured farm lands and have the labor to carry out the work. As such the small farmers are subcontracted by their farming associations.
In general, the majority of small holders operate under customary land tenure laws in these rural communities which, among other things, permits and recognizes the rights of individual families to access community lands. These rights, covering allocation and usage are granted through tribal custodians of chiefs and elders, and remain valid so long as the land is tended.
The bottom line of the CFS agricultural development strategy is the sharing of harvested proceeds. According to the system, 45% of proceeds from harvested produce is received by each participating farmers. It is the responsibility of CADS also as an entrepreneurship development and business promotion nonprofit to helping participating farmers with the 45% harvested proceeds to start or develop their own post harvest businesses. CADS provides basic business training in sessions held in each farming community. CADS will not just stop at having these farmers, future programs include monitoring through periodic visits to the farmers in post harvest businesses in order to ensure they maintain basic records, providing follow up training as necessary, and assist these farming enterprises in solving problems or in securing additional resources where possible.
15% from each participating farmers goes to the farming association. CADS ensures that the 15% received by the communal farming association from participating farmers are accordingly utilized by way of funding community projects like supporting health centers, provision of educational materials to disadvantaged rural school going children, feeder roads construction, and/or maintenance and micro loan financing of post harvest income generation activities like soap making, gara tye dyeing, blacksmithy, "Lumor" Public Market Trading, etc.
CADS is receiving 30% from harvested proceeds to be utilized in related administrative and extension services costs. CADS has a vision to be financially self sustainable in due course. The 30% is therefore a necessary derivation from the CFS joint venture to strengthen CADS in order to be able to independently pursue projects in future without having to suffer the usual delays and rigorous donor support procedures the center's continues to experience.
And there is the 10% from each participating farmer's harvested proceeds CADS and the various farming associations jointly put aside. Each community association jointly maintain a bank account with CADS to save the 10% for the repayment of any loans taken during the implementation of the project . If there are no loans at all to repay, these savings obviously go back to the communities by contributing the 10% to a revolving fund maintained by each community association to further help finance post harvest income generation activities in their local communities. From this fund, small amounts of money are systematically disbursed to participating communal farmers. This surely makes the difference in their capacities to start ad sustain individual productive and much needed post harvest businesses.
II. SEED MULTIPLICATION FARMS PROJECT FOR REHABILITATION, CONSOLIDATION AND EXPANSION OF THE AGRICULTURAL SECTOR IN SIERRA LEONE
Needs Analysis and Statement of the Problem:
To rehabilitate, consolidate and expand the Communal Farming System (CFS) program justified above, CADS, cooperating with its target beneficiaries have assessed and seen the need to first multiply seeds, and then consider consolidating and expanding the CFS program during subsequent crop seasons.
The violent interregnum that lasted July 1997 through February 1998 aggravated by the most deadly incursions into Freetown by rebel militants in 1999 and 2000 farming activities were severely affected to an extent there is now scarcity of seeds to supply farm communities to cultivate large acreage of farms.
Current
Member Farm Associations
of CADS Sierra Leone
The Center currently coordinates twenty four (24) participating farm communities in the Koya and York Rural Districts who are participating in the Center's Communal Farming System (CFS) program.
Tamaraneh Agricultural
Development project Community
Village: Kurankoh Number of Individual
Members: 3,255
Chairman/President: Pa Alhaji Amara Kalokoh
Secretary: Amara Kamara Namas
klenneh Mawoma Project
Community
Village: Mawoma Number of Individual
Members: 3,000
Chairman/President: Pa Santigie Smart Kanu
Secretary: Mohamed S. Kanu
Tabaksneh Development
Project Community
Village: Foindu
Number of Individual
Members: 3,500
Chairman/President: Mr. Salieu Kargbo
Secretary: Mohamed T. Bangura
Tawopaneh Farmers
Association Community
Village: Masoko
Number of Individual Members: 63
Chairman/President: Bai Kanu
Secretary: Earnest M.S. Challoh
Songo Development
Association Community
Village: Songo
Number of Individual Members: 1,500
Chairman/President: Mr. Alfred Y. Sesay
Secretary: James A. Cole
Tamemsu Development
Association Community
Village: Komrabai Nyollah
Number of Individual Members: 2,000
Chairman/President: Pa Alie Kamara
Secretary: Lamin M. Bangura
National Youth Agricultural
Project Community
Village: Makoloh
Number of Individual Members: 2,300
Chairman/President: Mr. A. M. Kamara
Secretary: M. Jalloh
Lamson Agricultural
Development Project Community
Village: Brama Junction
Number of Individual Members: 500
Chairman/President: Umarou Kargbo
Secretary: Mdm. Isatu Turay
Hard Labour Project
Community
Village: Masenk
Number of Individual Members: 65
Chairman/President: Papa Sillah Kargbo
Secretary: Mdm. Kadiatu Kargbo
Yasmie Gboyeh Development
Project Community
Village: Matimba
Number of Individual Members: 125
Chairman/President: Amadu Kanu
Secretary: Alimamy Sesay
Mama Beach Community
Cooperative Society Community
Village: Mama Beach
Number of Individual Members: 70
Chairman/President: Mdm. Kadiatu Conteh
Rowal Agricultural
Development Association Community
Village: Rowal
Number of Individual Members: 100
Chairman/President: Pa Santigie Turay
Secretary: Abdulrahman C. Jalloh
Kamuyu Sampa Bundu
Project Community
Village: Makaray
Number of Individual Members: 35
Chairman/President: Lamin Sesay
Secretary: Abdul Karim Kamara
Tamaraneh Agricultural
Group Community
Village: Mateneh
Number of Individual Members: 500
Chairman/President: Pa Santigie Kanu
Secretary: Musa Sesay
National Development
Project Community
Village: Malaisoko
Number of Individual Members: 500
Chairman/President: Momoh Kamara
Secretary: Hassan M. Turay
Makabie Farmers Association
Community
Village: Makabie
Number of Individual Members: 150
Chairman/President: Abdulai Sesay
Secretary: Sorie Sesay
Peoples Agricultural Project Community
Village: Masimbara
Number of Individual Members: 350
Chairman/President: Pa Hassan Koroma
Secretary: Amara Kamara
Warayma United Project
Community
Village: Warayman
Number of Individual Members: 455
Chairman/President: Mohamed Sesay
Secretary: Iye Gbankay
Malon Farmers Association
Community
Village: Malon
Number of Individual Members: 250
Chairman/President: Paramount Chief Kompa bomboli II
Secretary: Mohamed Kargbo
Tamaraneh Progressive
Community Development Association Community
Village: Gbonkowailay
Number of Individual Members: 35
Chairman/President: Pa Idrissa Forna
Tawopaneh Women's
Community Development Project Community
Village: 21 Kabba Street, Lumpa -- York Rural
Number of Individual Members: 35
Chairman/President: Madam Bouagy Kamara
Secretary: Mdm. Adama Sesay
Wopkabuth Multipurpose
Rural Development Cooperative Society Community
Village: Batcomp
Number of Individual Members: 150
Chairman/President: Hassan Kamara
Koru Meyei Community Development Association Community
Village: Petfu Hamburg
Number of Individual Members: 50
Chairman/President: 15
Secretary: Aminata Bangura
Problem Statement and Project's Aims and Objectives:
1.The seed multiplication farms project is designed as an emergency farming strategy to cultivate 200 acres of swamp rice; 400 acres of upland rice in eleven participating communities.
The communities where the seed multiplication farms will be cultivated are:
2. To cultivate 250 acres of short duration cassava at the farm communities of Makabie, Makaray, Masoko, Mawoma and Matimba - as supplements on food for work, and income generation.
3. To cultivate 150 acres of short duration potatoes at Malon, Warayma, Mobekay, Foindu, and mashenk as supplements on food for work and income generation.
4. To cultivate 150 acres of corn farms at Magbanamaty, Masimbara, Masoko, Komrabai and Maliasoko as supplements on food for work, and income generation.
Project Implementation Strategy:
The project will cooperatively involve farm affiliates to help themselves in the cultivation process of the seed multiplication farm in turns.
Farming groups from CFS participating affiliates will be encouraged to provide labor in turns to cultivate the rice farms, as well as the cassava, potato, and corn farms. The rationale is to get the farm communities to be aware and be involved for the fact that the seed multiplication farms are seed generation farms to benefit all of them to support their farms in the next crop seasons when they will be ready to effectively consolidate and expand the CFS system.
Generally, the Seed Multiplication Farms Project for rehabilitation, Consolidation and Expansion of the Agricultural Sector in Sierra Leone is aimed at multiplying seed rice, cassava cuttings, potato vines, and seed corn to meet the needs of the farm communities of Kurankoh, Mawoma, Foindu, Masoko, Songo, Komrabai Nyollah, Makoloh, Brama Junction, Mashenk, Matimba, Mama Beach, Rowal, Makaray, Mateneh, Malaisoko, Makabie, Masimbara, Warayman, Malon, Gbonkowailay, Lumpa, Batcomp, and Petfu Hamburg.
The project also aims at cultivating short duration tubers and corn to serve as supplements on food for work for the various farm community affiliates.
The overriding project objective is to be able to sustainably provide seed inputs and supplements on food for work to farm communities in the Koya and York Rural communities during next crop seasons.
Organization and Management: The CFS agricultural development project will be organized and managed by the center's agricultural department headed by its Agricultural Projects Coordinator with a field staff of at least sixteen (16) workers.
Conclusion:
That Sierra Leone's socio-economic situation is dismal cannot be over-emphasized. Facilitating the creation of economic opportunities that will go across the board more particularly, for the poor, destitute small scale rural farmers and entrepreneurs, will create the required enabling environment.
The Center understands the requirements of its community farmer affiliates recognizing them as men and women with clear responsibilities on their communal farms, and in their communities, fully involving them to participate in the formulation of development plans, and recognizing their traditional knowledge, incomplete though it may be - simply put, we emphasize the need to put the farmers first . We have proven this to improve agricultural productivity, and sustainability.
CADS Global Network solicits donor contributions to raise the funds needed to implement this project. We would certainly appreciate institutions' and individuals' effort in providing this support to compliment this development aspiration for the common good of our troubled society.
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