Freetown — The Sierra Leone Investment Promotion Agency (SLIEPA) today wraps-up a two-day workshop with its development partners in the area of agriculture export in the country at the Njala Avenue, Lumley beach in Freetown.

Speaking at the ceremony, the marketing and communication officer of SLIEPA, Francis Minah said the establishment of agricultural marketing information system was in line with the President's agenda for change in the agricultural system. He noted that production cannot always change the problem and that this is where SLIEPA comes in.

Minah revealed that the sum of $50,000 has been allocated for this year's 'Bumber Harvest' initiative and that SLIEPA was helping in the area of export in some of the production, as studies and strategies will be developed during the workshop to help the agricultural sector in the area of export.

SLIEPA's director of export, Henry Kamara said they will be looking at two areas, which are export promotion and investment promotion. Traditionally, he said agricultural products which are cacao and coffee were exported to Europe, as small amount of it was being consumed in Sierra Leone. He noted the need for the participants to know their regional competitors which are Ghana, Ivory Coast and Togo and Sierra Leone - among them is the largest exporter.

Sierra Leone, Kamara maintained, should also be identifying produce that are pest free and non contaminated, as these are the values involved in regional trade that will also not attract traffic escalation.

For the country to still maintain the top position in export, Kamara stressed the need to add value in order to attract traffic escalation and look out for other opportunities in diversity. He commended the effort of ECOWAS for the step taken to ensure free movement of goods and services.