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The Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (MAFS), through its Crop Protection Unit under the Crops Division, has distributed essential working equipment to crop officers across Sierra Leone’s 15 districts as part of efforts to strengthen plant health awareness, pest management, and agricultural productivity.
The items distributed include motorbikes, collapsible chairs, megaphones, and umbrellas, which are expected to enhance the capacity of district crop officers to carry out field activities, engage farmers, and improve monitoring of crop diseases and pests.
Head of the Crop Protection Unit, Alie H.D. Mansaray, said the initiative is aimed at increasing awareness among farmers on plant health issues and ensuring that those with affected farm products receive timely advice on treatment and prevention whenever similar challenges arise.
He explained that one of the Unit’s key priorities is the revitalisation of the plant health clinic, a national advisory system designed to provide farmers with expert guidance on crop diseases and related challenges, but which has remained inactive for several years.
Mansaray noted that the equipment will be provided to crop officers in districts including Kailahun, Kenema, Bo, Bonthe, Moyamba, Kono, Bombali, Port Loko, Kambia, and the Western Area, among others, to support effective surveillance, accountability, and pest management across farming communities.
According to him, the plant health clinic operates through periodic markets and public spaces where farmers bring affected crops showing signs of diseases or other problems for diagnosis and recommendations on appropriate solutions.
He disclosed that the support was funded by the Government of Sierra Leone through the Ministry of Finance as part of ongoing efforts to advance the Feed Salone Agenda and promote sustainable agricultural development.
Mansaray encouraged crop officers who are yet to receive the equipment to remain committed to their responsibilities, assuring that the government, through MAFS, is working to ensure that similar support reaches all districts to strengthen plant health services and improve outcomes for farmers nationwide.
