An evaluation of the impact of smallholder commercialization project on the agricultural sector in Sierra Leone (2002 - 2020)

This study aims to determine the impact of small holder commercialization program to the productivity of agricultural sector in Sierra Leone. This study utilizes both primary and secondary data that were obtained the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security and local farmers in the Northern region. The period under review is 20012-2020. Both qualitative and quantitative data analysis techniques were utilized in the study. It is evident from the results that the agricultural smallholder commercialization program should give priority to the production of our domestic staple food such as rice, cassava etc. to reduce poverty. Farmers in Sierra Leone are amongst the poorest and if poverty is to be reduced there should be new strategies to improve the domestic production of this commodity while at the same time reducing the importation of our staple food. Land availability is not a problem and is such cultivated areas should be increased with new techniques, improved tools and new technologies to be introduced to completely close this deficiency.