Sierra Leone - The economy (Vol. 2 of 2) : Agriculture : a preliminary review

RESTRICTED Report No. AF-20a This report was prepared for use within the Bank and its affiliated organizations. They do not accept responsibility for its accuracy or completeness. The report may not be published nor may it be quoted as representing their views. INTERNATIONAL BANK FOR RECONSTRUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION THE ECONOMY OF SIERRA LEONE Volume II Agriculture (A Preliminary Review) August 6, 1964 Department of Operations Africa  CURRENCY EQUIVALENTS Currency Unit: West African pount (B) U.S. $1 = L 0. 357 (7 s. 2 d. West African) Li = U.S. $2. 80 L 1 million = U. S. $2, 800, 000  AGRICULTURE IN SIERRA LEONE TABLE OF CONTENTS Page No. I. INTRODUCTION . . . . . ..... . 1 II. BACKGROUND . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 III. PHYSICAL RESOURCES . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 A. Climate .. .............................. 2 B. Soils ........................ 3 C. Vegetation ........................ 3 IV. PRESENT STATUS OF AGRICULTURE . . . . . . . . . h A. Land Tenure ............................ 4 B. Land Use ............................... 5 C. Production of Export Crops .. ........... 6 D. Production of Crops for Local Consumption 9 E. Animal Production .................... .. 11 V. NA'M~ETTNG OF AGRICULTUR-iL PRODUCE . . . . . . . 13 A. External inarketing .................... , 13 B. Internal h.arketing ..................... 14 C. i':arketing of Livestock Products ........ 16 VI. AGRICU'LTURAL SEtRVICES . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 A. Agricultural Administration ............ 17 B. Extension Service ...................... 19 C. Research ............................... 19 D. Credit Facilities ...................... 20 VII. AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMIENT PLANNING . . . . . . . 21 A. Planning in the Ministry of Natural Resources 21 B. AgriculturalProgram .................... 22 Cn Livestock Program .. .................... 23 D. Forestry Program ...... ................. 24 E. Fisheries Program ................. ..... 25  TABLE OF CONTENTS (Cont'd) Page No. VIII. POSSIBILITIES FOR PROJECT DEVELOPiMENT . . . 25 A. General Considerations .*. ... 25 B. Grain Storage ....... .................. a 25 C. Rubber Development ..................... 26 D. Tidal Swamp Reclamation ................ 27 E. Agricultural Credit Facilities ......... 27 F. SewaAjaanje/Jong Scheme ................ 28 IX. CONCLUSIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 ANNEXES 1. Operation of Pioneer Oil Mills: 1957-1962 2. Comparative Cost of Local Rice Production at Various Yield Levels 3. Land Ploughed Under the hIechanical Rice Cultivation Scheme for Rice Planting: 1957 - 1962 4. Rice Balance 1964 and 1969 - An Estimate 5. Proposed Tidal Swamp Reclamation for Paddy Production 6. Price Schedules of SLPHB for iajor Agricultural Export Products MAPS: hain V:atersheds and Diamond Concessions iajor Soils and Rainfall Zones  AGRICULTURE IN SIEPRA LEONE I. INTRODUCTION 1. At the request of the Government of Sierra Leone an Agricultural Economist was included in the Bank mission visiting Sierra Leone from January 31 to February 15, 196L. The findings of his preliminary review of the agricultural sector of the economy including preliminary identifica- tion of noEsible development projects in the field of agriculture are sum- marized in this agricultural complement to the report on the "Economy of Sierra Leone". 2. The limited amount of data available on the agricultural economy of Sierra Leone has made it necessary to introduce estimates which are in many cases not supported by investigations. Furthermore, because of the limited time available to the mission it has not always been possible to collate in the field the information made available from different sources. Any discrepancies or misinterpretations should thus be attributed to the preliminary character of the review. II. BACKGROUTND 3. The economy of 5ierra Leone is predominantly rural in character. Agriculture is a major source of national income, emplovment, and a key factor in the development of the country. The country is about 28,000 square miles in size with a population density of about 75 per square mile. The population is estimated to grow at a rate of about 2.5 per cent per annum. Main urban developments are restricted to Freetown, Bo, and Kenema. These are also the principal marketing centers for agricultural produce. 4- Due to the diamond mining activities a structural shift in the development of smaller towns and centers has occurred. Previously important trading centers for agricultural cormodities, especially in parts of the Southern Province, show signs of deterioration and new trading centers, pro- viding dia.ond milers with the amenities of life, have sprung up in the mining areas. These areas appear to be endangered by deterioration of whatever little market outlets for local agricultural produce there were. 5. In spite of the developments in the mining industry,i/ agriculture rerains the basis of the economy. The majority of the population - over S0 per cent - lives on and largely from the land. There is, however, little commercial agriculture. The main activities in agriculture are for subsistence farming and petty cash sales of fruits, vegetables, palm kernels, coffee, cocoa, ginger, benniseed etc. Commercial agricultural production is often practiced by urban businessmen, medical doctors, local politicians etc., who have a reasonable capital basis and are in a position to secure additional finance. The latter dominate the poultry and pig industry and also engage in rice importation and production. 1/ Since 1961 a deterioration of diamond mining can be observed.  -2- 6. Agriculture in Sierra Leone is thus revealing a somewhat paradoxical picture. The majority of its resources is utilized in a very primitive and traditional manner for subsistence farming. nowever, a few profitable lines of agricultural production attract urban entrepreneurs and modern and com- mercialized agriculture can be encountered here. Outside of this, there is hardly any plantation type exploitation nor does one find much experience of modern commercial farming of any type. 7. Conditions of soil and climate are not particularly favorable. However, the exploitation of the full potential of agriculture in Sierra Leone is far from having been reached. Even with the present state of know- ledge and experience much more could be achieved. But for this a comiprehen- sive effort will be required including economic, social, and political as- pects, to determine the priorities for economic development and to transform and exploit the available natural resources. In addition, the institutional frame-work, such as land tenure and the organization of the production proc- esses, must be adapted to the requirements of rational development0 III. PHYSICAL RESOURCES A. Climate 8. Sierra Leone is located at the western end of the so-called "Guinean Ecuatorial Zone", a discontinuous belt stretching out over Liberia, the Ivory Coast, Eastern Ghana, lestern Nigeria, to the great equatorial forests of the Congo Basin. The rain forests occur mainly in areas with more than 70 inches of rainfall and a dry season of less than three months. 9. The average annual rainfall in Sierra Leone varies between 80 inches in the northeastern part of the country to more than 150 inches in the far southern corner bordering on Liberia (see Soils Nap). The dry period, be- ginning at the end of November and ending during LMarch, is very pronounced and would make irrigation imperative for a number of crops for continuous year-round cropping. Tree crops also suffer from the dry spells. The dry season is accompanied by a steady wind from the northeast - the Harmattan - a dry, hot and dust-carrying breeze from the Sahara. Hieavy rains occur throughout July, August, and parts of September causing flooding of the lower- lying inland swamps and the riverine grasslands. Heavy erosion occurs on exposed areas in the rolling country. 10. Wlhile the rainfall distribution is not very favorable there are hardly any fluctuations in temperature. January, February, and 1Larch appear to be the hottest months with an average temperature in the neighborhood of 82