The Parliamentary Oversight Committee on Agriculture and Food Security conducted an on-site visit to several establishments on June 13, 2024. The purpose of the visit was to oversee the activities, use of funds, successes, and challenges facing the operations of the various institutions and to ensure that they aligned with their activity plans.
At the Western Area Rural/Urban District Agriculture Office (DAO) in Newton, the committee met with the District Agriculture Officer, Fatmata Bangura. She informed the committee about the challenges faced by the DAO, including the perception that Western Region farming is not buoyant compared to the provinces. She also highlighted the need for timely disbursement of funds and the importance of DAOs having the authority to directly disburse funds for their activities.
The committee later visited the Freetown Store Limited Poultry owned by James Kajah Lahai in Sillah Town. The MPs were impressed with the amount of chickens being managed and the technology being used.
From the Western Region, the committee proceeded to the Miro Forestry and Timber Products site at Mile 91, Tonkolili District. The committee received a safety induction and an overview of Miro's operations.Miro's operations, which started in 2009, include planting trees in an area of over 10,000 hectares of land in 117 communities in Port Loko and Tonkolili. The company has a staff strength of over 2,000 employees and is committed to gender-focused recruitment.
The MPs were intrigued to learn that Miro has been supporting MFSL rice cultivation in partnership with Concern Worldwide in its Food Nutrition Security Project. They also commended Miro for its work and posed questions on various aspects of its operations.
The committee's visit to these establishments provided valuable insights into the challenges and successes of agriculture and forestry in Sierra Leone. The committee's findings and recommendations will be used to inform policy and decision-making in these sectors.
Comments