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Reading: Sierra Leone to Host Two Days National Seed Business Summit to Drive Agricultural Transformation
Reading: Sierra Leone to Host Two Days National Seed Business Summit to Drive Agricultural Transformation

Sierra Leone to Host Two Days National Seed Business Summit to Drive Agricultural Transformation

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Sallu Kamuskay
By Sallu Kamuskay 4 Min Read
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National Seed Business Summit
National Seed Business Summit

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Sierra Leone is gearing up for a major agricultural transformation with the upcoming National Seed Business Summit. The government, in collaboration with the Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation (TAAT) and the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), is hosting this event from 18th to 20th September in Freetown, Sierra Leone.

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The summit has adopted the theme “Building a roadmap for seed sector transformation,” which reflects the nation’s commitment to developing economically sustainable seed systems for key crops like rice, cassava, maize, and soybean. This initiative aims to propel Sierra Leone towards self-sufficiency in food production and boost its agricultural sector.

 National Seed Business Summit
National Seed Business Summit

 

Why is this summit significant? Well, seeds are the foundation of any successful agricultural system. Access to high-quality seeds and improved varieties is crucial for farmers to increase their productivity and adapt to changing climatic conditions. However, Sierra Leone faces numerous challenges in its seed sector, including limited availability of quality seeds, inadequate infrastructure, and a lack of investment.

By bringing together key stakeholders from the government, research institutions, private sector, and development partners, the National Seed Business Summit aims to address these challenges head-on. It provides a platform for knowledge sharing, collaboration, and strategizing to develop a comprehensive roadmap for transforming the seed sector in Sierra Leone.

One of the key partners in this endeavor is TAAT, an initiative led by the African Development Bank. TAAT focuses on harnessing agricultural technologies to drive productivity and income growth in Africa’s agricultural sector. Through its involvement in the summit, TAAT brings its expertise in seed systems development and its network of partners to support Sierra Leone’s efforts.

The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), another key collaborator, is a leading research institution dedicated to improving agriculture in tropical regions. With its vast experience in crop improvement and seed systems development, IITA will contribute valuable insights and technical know-how to help Sierra Leone achieve its seed sector transformation goals.

The National Seed Business Summit will feature panel discussions, presentations, and interactive sessions covering a wide range of topics. These include seed policy and regulation, seed production and distribution, quality assurance, and farmer engagement.

One of the expected outcomes of the summit is the development of a comprehensive roadmap for Sierra Leone’s seed sector transformation. This roadmap will outline strategies, policies, and investments needed to strengthen the seed value chain, from research and development to seed production, distribution, and marketing. It will also address capacity building, infrastructure development, and the involvement of smallholder farmers in the seed sector.

Sierra Leone has immense agricultural potential, with its fertile land and favorable climate. However, unlocking this potential requires a well-functioning seed sector that can provide farmers with the necessary inputs to increase productivity and adapt to challenges. The National Seed Business Summit is a significant step towards achieving this goal.

By bringing together stakeholders and experts in the field, Sierra Leone aims to create a conducive environment for seed sector development. This will not only improve food security but also contribute to economic growth, job creation, and poverty reduction in the country.

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Sallu Kamuskay is a Sierra Leonean activist, storyteller, and blogger. He was born in Sierra Leone but later relocated to Guinea as a refugee because of the war in his country. Sallu Kamuskay uses his phone to engage on social media, under the name ‘’Salone Messenger’. He Co-Founded the Salone Messenger platform after his experience of the war, Ebola, and injustices. According to him, silence was the root cause of war, and of many social injustices, we continue to face as a nation. In 2013, during the Ebola crisis, Sallu Kamuskay took the risk and volunteered to fight Ebola. He spent some months in both safe and unsafe places; helping the victims and telling their sad stories. The election in 2018, left a divided country with communities fighting on tribal lines. This inspired Sallu Kamuskay to serve as the coordinator of the United Sierra Leone peace concert, which was organized in 4 major parts of the country, targeting violent communities and troubled youth. Sallu Kamuskay led a group of entertainers, activists, and organizations across the country on a peace tour, a program supported by the European Union, United Sierra Leone, Africa Union, ECOWAS, and the Messeh Leone Trust. Sallu Kamuakay has also served as a staff writer for the Hidden Voices Magazine. Over the years, Sallu Kamuskay has been using his Techno phone to be able to tell stories, the phone he used to tell the story of Gbessay during Ebola who was admitted at one of the Ebola treatment centers after rumors that she had Ebola when the actual sickness was ulcer, she was almost abandoned at the treatment canter with no medication provided to her. She could have died. Sallu told the story via social media and was able to secure funding from the United Sierra Leone to buy her medication and advocated for her. She was later discharged and taken home, He did the same to a patient that died and was abandoned in the street, Sallu Kamuskay used his phone and shared the message across, the corps was later taken and buried. It could have been more disaster without his voice. The story of late America Stress 3-year-old daughter. The hero’s daughter was abandon after his father's death. He shared her sad story and was able to get a sister who has taken the child as her own and is currently providing her with educational support. The article of America Stress can be read on the link below http://ayvnewspaper.com/index.php/k2-categories/item/7350-america-stress-a-hero-to-recognize. Sallu Kamuskay feels the stories of Gbessay, America stress and that of many others need to be told. The media house we have cannot better tell these stories, they are better reporters than telling human interest stories. He created the Salone Messenger platform and brought together passionate storytellers to be able to tell these compelling stories.
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