Sierra Leone Agricultural Research Institute (SLARI) Strategic Plan 2012 – 2021.

This Strategic Plan is the second nationwide sectoral document developed by the Sierra Leone Agricultural Research Institute (SLARI) - the national research institution in the sectors of agriculture, fisheries and forestry - to strategically position itself to contribute significantly to the development of the agricultural sector, in line with the developments taking place at the national, regional and international levels. The Plan follows the development and launch of the National Sustainable Agriculture Development Plan/Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (NSADP/CAADP) which Vision is to commercialize agriculture, especially through linking of farmers to markets and also emphasizes the critical role agricultural research and extension plays in the development of the agricultural sector. The SLARI overall goal is to enhance sustainable productivity, commercialization and competitiveness of the agricultural sector and, secifically, the generation and promotion of innovative agricultural technologies and empowerment stakeholders. For this purpose, SLARI has identified five result areas that are necessary to deliver on the the specific objective, they are (i) appropriate agricultural product value chains technologies and innovations generated and promoted; (ii) appropriate markets and marketing strategies for enhancing agricultural product value chains developed and promoted; (iii) appropriate policy options for enhancing agricultural product value chains facilitated and advocated; (iv) capacity for implementing agricultural product value chains research strengthened; and (v) appropriate mechanisms for managing, sharing and up scaling agricultural knowledge, information and technologies established and operationalized. In order to ensure effective delivery of the five institutional level results, research operations in SLARI have been rationalized into the following seven long-term strategic research programme areas of focus (i) Root, Tuber and Grain Legume Crops; (ii) Cereal crops; (iii) Horticultural Crops; (iv) Livestock; (v) Fisheries; (vi) Forestry and Tree Crops; and (vii) Land, Water and Environment. Attainment of the purpose for each research programme area of focus shall be expected to lead to enhanced productivity commercialization and competitiveness of each research programme product value chains. This shall in turn be expected to contribute significantly to the improvement of livelihoods, income generation and food security leading to sustainable agricultural sector development and national economic growth.
To help eliminate hunger and malnutrition, the document proposes the following (i) promotion of root and tuber crops and grain legumes such as cowpea, pigeon pea and soybean as food supplements and beta carotene derived from yellow rooted cassava and orange-fleshed sweet potato; (ii) improvement of protein intake through increased production of livestock; and (iii) development of fisheries sector as a source of animal protein.
In order to make agriculture more productive and sustainable, main interventions shall be directed to (i) disseminate to farmers appropriate integrated pest management strategies; (ii) develop and/or introduce superior varieties of horticultural crops and technologies adaptable to various environmental conditions of the farmers’ fields; (iii) develop research into the natural and potentials of land and water resources; (iv) identify alternative uses which integrate crop and livestock farming thus reducing the cost of production; (v) promote root and tuber crops and grain legumes by breeding of superior varieties through the use of biotechnology and molecular marker-assisted selection; (vi) improve the production of rice and other cereals through development and adoption of improved technologies including varieties; (vii) develop appropriate cereals varieties that are high yielding and tolerant to pests; and (viii) develop animal health services to cope with disease outbreaks as well as the weak animal health.
Rural poverty can be faced through (i) the establishment of infrastructure in remote inaccessible areas, where agricultural activities are carried out by resource-poor rural farmers who lack the basic finances status to hire tractors; and (ii) major investment in technology, fish handling and processing to increase production in the small-scale artisanal fishery that is a significant source of employment and rural income.
To enable more inclusive and efficient agricultural and food systems, the Plan envisages to (i) focus on the development of post-harvest practices, creating opportunities for processing and value addition to improve access to markets; (ii) provide information and knowledge that will enhance productivity and empower producers to be market-oriented; (iii) develop and institutionalize food safety, horticultural crops processing and product standards in order to promote trade in the region and internationally; (iv) modernizing agricultural production and marketing systems by promoting tractorization, enhancing use of agrochemicals and high quality seeds/planting materials and farmer organization; (v) providing farmers with high yielding varieties of crops with the desired agronomic traits; (vi) development of horticultural crops that can be processed into diverse products (juice, jam, jelly, desiccated fruit) important products for urban centres; and (vi) development of horticultural crops (ginger, plantain and chilli pepper) that have a large potential for export.
To increase the resilience of livelihoods to disasters, the document proposes to (i) develop appropriate mitigation measure to reverse/arrest the climate change effects; (ii) encourage in situ conservation outside protected areas to complement conservation of biological diversity, already developed in the country, inside protected areas; and (iii) promote a sustainable environment management.
As for the Governance, SLARI Directorate and Council will strive to embrace the concept of good corporate governance to assist the management to pursue its objectives as well as to facilitate effective monitoring and efficient utilization of resources entrusted to it. Given this understanding, SLARI shall have to establish effective and independent corporate governance divisions/units and, if impossible, it rather may consider establishing offices to deal with specific corporate governance aspects.