Where We Work : Sierra Leone : Agriculture, livestock and poultry

BRAC launched the agriculture, livestock and poultry programme in Sierra Leone in 2008. Agriculture, including crops, livestock, poultry, fisheries and forestry, accounts for almost half of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and employs 66.4% (2004) of the economically active labour force. About 74% of the total land area is potentially cultivable, yet only 34% of the arable land is used, leaving ample opportunities for the sector to be developed.

In Bangladesh, BRAC has been working to increase the productivity of the agricultural sector since 1978, developing many supporting activities such as disease management, dissemination of improved breeds and crop varieties, supply of livestock and poultry feed and milk processing and distribution. Since then, we have helped more than 4.2 million people create and sustain livelihoods from different kinds of farming.

In Sierra Leone, the majority of people are involved in small scale farming activities, such as raising chickens, sheep, goats, pigs or cows, and cultivating small plots of land of less than three acres. In addition to providing poor women with investment capital and inputs for their activities, BRAC provides training and support on modern farming techniques which can greatly increase these women’s profits, thus contributing to the revival of the sector.


Programme Description

BRAC’s agriculture, livestock and poultry programme addresses the issue of poor crop and livestock productivity in Sierra Leone. Crops grown for domestic consumption include rice, cassava, millet, maize and palm oil. Larger livestock only make up a small portion of the sector and are mainly accounted for by semi-nomadic herders in the north, whereas the majority of livestock consists of poultry, which is also the most widely distributed. Disease is common in all livestock and needs to be controlled to rebuild stock numbers.

Our aim is to improve the efficiency and management of small to medium farm enterprises. The programme is designed to increase agricultural output, decrease livestock mortality, raise farm income, and increase rural employment.

Agriculture and Livestock Programme Supervisors

Both components are coordinated at the branch level through dedicated Programme Supervisors. Each Programme Supervisor receives extensive training from BRAC on topics such as livestock and poultry rearing and diseases (for Livestock Volunteer Supervisors); improved farming practices; high yield seed varieties and related technologies (for Agriculture Extension Worker Supervisors). They also attend an annual refresher course to keep their skills updated. Once trained, the Programme Supervisor’s role is to train and supervise the Agriculture Extension Workers and Livestock Volunteers who are at the core of the programme. At any point in time, Programme Supervisors can ask for assistance from the Agriculture and Livestock Extension Officers based at the area offices.

Agriculture Extension Workers

The primary agents for the agriculture activities are the self-employed model Agriculture Extension Workers. They are required to have a minimum of two years agricultural experience and farmed at least two acres of land. They must be willing to work with other low income farmers in their community and supply them with quality inputs. The Agriculture Extension Workers are trained by BRAC Programme Supervisors or Extension Officers to offer technical assistance to general farmers operating on a small scale, i.e. less than one acre of land.

BRAC Agriculture Supervisors at branch level attend microfinance group meetings to identify Agriculture Extension Workers from among the members. The local BRAC branch is responsible for screening and short listing candidates; the final selection is done by the Agriculture Extension Officers at the area office.

The Agriculture Extension Workers are then provided a two-week training at the branch office. This covers farming techniques for specific crop varieties, focusing on the entire life cycle of the crop, starting from preparation of the land to harvesting. When their training is complete, each of the Agriculture Extension Workers identifies 250 small-holder farmers living in their communities with support of the branch staff.

Forty of these farmers will become model farmers, who specialise in crop production and promote good farming practices to others in their communities. Agriculture Extension Workers assist the farmers on technical issues such as choice of varieties to grow, improved seeds to use, crop spacing, rotation, intercropping, weeding, planting, fertilisation, pest control, post harvest management, utilisation of by-products, as well as integration of crop and livestock enterprises within the farm. They also sell improved seeds and other agricultural inputs.

Poultry and Livestock Volunteers

The livestock and poultry component also carries out community activities through self-employed volunteers. These are experienced women poultry and livestock farmers who are selected from BRAC microfinance groups. After selection, they receive extensive training in livestock husbandry, health issues and vaccination specifics. Training also includes the production and conservation of fodder crops. Once trained, Livestock Volunteers generate income by charging fees for their services. With help from BRAC, they offer vaccination services, sell veterinary medicine, and provide technical assistance to other microfinance group members and the wider farming community. Livestock Volunteers select and assist model poultry farmers and broiler rearers.

It is through this pyramid of entrepreneurial extension agents and structured supervision system that BRAC can extend its services to thousands of people in Sierra Leone.