A two-day agro-forestry training for twenty-one local communities on best bet practices recently ended at Siffoe Village in Kombo South West Coast Region.
The training that targeted Badibou in North Bank Region and West Coast Region was organised under the auspicious of the department of Forestry and funded by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
Speaking at the opening ceremony, the consultant, Ansumana Jarjue, said the mandate of the training was to build the capacity of the local community, which are the community forest workers, in their own right at their local communities.
He said it was deemed necessary for the local community to be empowered to have the basic agro-forestry knowledge, in the best usage of agro-forestry multipurpose tree species in their farming system.
Mr Jarjue asserted that the training focused on the species of high ecological combining ability to ensure that the carrying capacity of the system is in place.
For his part, the Regional Forestry Officer in West Coast Region, Ousainou Cham, explained that the UNDP project was meant to enhance the forestry department and its partners to maintain and access the cover of the country’s forest with a view to improving livelihood and other environmental functions.
He said it is also focusing on energy sector, biodiversity sector, the NEA and forestry primarily to ensure that the country’s forest cover is well maintained.
As at now the project is trying to expose the farmers on agro- forestry best bet practices so that the forest cover will be retained, he said.
He added that the aim was to ensure that there is available livestock and domestic firewood for farmers. It also looked at soil improvement identifying the most ideal species of multiple uses within a particular environment.
Mr Cham used the occasion to thank the UNDP for supporting the project and other natural resource sectors, forestry wild life, energy, and the NEA.
