SIERRA LEONE: Crops That Are Fighting Poverty

SRI AFRICA November 25, 2020 0 Comments

A Borgen Project article covers several crops that are fighting poverty around the world:  Potatoes in China, cassava in sub-Saharan Africa, rice in Sierra Leone, pearl millet in India and more. …Rice in Sierra Leone: Agriculture accounts for 57% of Sierra Leone’s GDP, with rice reigning as the primary staple crop. However, as of 2011, the nation was a net rice importer due to struggles with planting efficiency. The System of Rice Intensification (SRI) was developed to increase rice crop yield and decrease the labor necessary for upkeep. This method requires the use of organic fertilizers, tighter regulations for watering quantities, greater spacing between seeds to decrease plant competition and rotary hoes for weeding. As of 2014, 10,865 individuals had implemented this strategy in Sierra Leone. SRI has enabled rice to become one of the crops that is fighting poverty by increasing crop production from two to six tons per hectare…