Authors:
Nienke Beintema, John Momoh, and Kathleen Flaherty
Year:
2014
Publisher
International Food Policy Research Institute and Sierra Leone Agricultural Research Institute.
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Agricultural research spending in Sierra Leone grew only modestly during 2008–2011, sharply contrasting very high growth during 2001–2008, at which time the main agricultural research centers, NARC and RARC (consolidated under SLARI in 2008) were being rehabilitated.
Despite significant growth over time, Sierra Leone’s agricultural R&D spending remains well below the levels required to sustain its needs; spending levels as a share of AgGDP are among the lowest in Africa.
Most of the other centers under SLARI were reopened and partially rehabilitated after 2008; a large number of (mostly BSc-qualified) researchers were recruited during 2009–2013 and given opportunities to pursue MSc-degree training in Sierra Leone or other African countries in recent years.