Trends in food crop production in Sierra Leone and options for meeting food energy requirements

Changes in the production of major food crops, available calories and protein for human consumption in Sierra Leone over a ten year period were studied. Estimates were made of nutrients taken up by harvested produce and present in crop residues. Plant sources provided 1,840 kcal/caput/day to 2,041 kcal/caput/day accounting for about 96% of total available calories. Rice, maize, millet, sorghum, cassava, sweet potato and groundnut provided a total of 1,084 kcal/caput/day to 1,305 kcal/caput/day. The difference between available calories and the minimum requirement in 1996 was 363 kcal/caput/day. Between 1987 and 1996 available calories from rice declined from 978 kcal/caput/day to 876 kcal/caput/day, while that from cassava increased from 90 kcal/caput/day to 205 kcal/caput/day. Rice was the most important supplier of proteins; it provided 16.4 g/caput/day to 18.9 g/caput/day. The data indicated that large amounts of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium were removed by the crops from cultivated soils. Use of high yielding cassava and rice varieties with little or no fertilizers is a low input option that would bridge about 94% of the minimum energy gap. To minimize nutrient mining and completely fill the gap, these varieties would have to be used in conjunction with good soil management practices. (C) 2003 by The Haworth Press, Inc. All rights reserved.