The Sustainable Land Management Project (SLMP), in collaboration with the regional Agricultural directorate in CRR, recently conducted a daylong capacity enhancement training for members of the multidisciplinary facilitation team (MDFTs) on group formation and management, at Sapu in CRR South.

The SLMP is mandated to improve productivity of farmers, through improved sustainable land management techniques.

In addressing the participants, the regional agricultural director, Habib Touray, said MDFTs play a crucial role in providing knowledge and skills necessary for farmers, to be able to adopt and apply more efficient crop and animal production methods.

He said they are engaged in disseminating useful information to people, help them learn how to use such information to build a better life for themselves, their families and communities.

He said SLMP was established to reduce erosion, citing that erosion control measures protect the top soil and improve soil fertility.

The SLMP's regional supervisor, Ousman Kolley, said the establishment of the project is an innovative approach to address soil degradation.

He pointed out that soil fragility is exacerbated by erosion, removal of vegetation cover, acidity and salinisation.

Noting that conservation techniques used by the SLMP in their intervention villages were anti- salt dikes and contour bands, he called on the participants to intensify their awareness creation about the project activities.

Mr. Kolley further stated that "the continental terminal soils which form the bulk of the frequently cultivated upland have declined in fertility and their productive capacity is generally low."

The principal Agricultural officer, Abdoulie Manjang, urged the participants to spread the message of popularised leguminous production for foraging and soil fertility improvement, through nitrogen fixation.