The economics of rice production in the inland-valley swamps of Sierra Leone

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dc.contributor.authorKallon, Mannah Foday
dc.date.accessioned2026-08-14T05:54:14Z
dc.date.available2026-08-14T05:54:14Z
dc.date.issued1970
dc.descriptionDissertation
dc.description.abstractA key problem in the development of West African agricultural economics is shortage of primary data at the farm level. This limitation has jeopardized the successful implementation of many well intentioned national plans. National plans can only be as reliable as the elements from which they are constructed. This principle applies to the value of plans of more modest proportions such as the Sierra Leone government1s plan to increase rice production through an exhaustive development of the iniand-val1ey swamps for rice cultivation. To recommend improvements necessary to increase rice production and rural incomef this study developed a farm plan for iniand-valley swamps that was cognizant of both the level of technology and managerial ability in the country. The initial basis of the farm plan was the establishment of labor requirements for various farm operations in rice cultivation and the development of a labor flow statement as a guide to avoid labor bottlenecks that are character- istic of traditional tropical agriculture. Implements used in the farm plan were selected with the full realization that the society cannot currently afford the cash outlays for and the management of conventional farm tractors at the individual family-farm level. Suggestions of modest levels of mechanization that could be in the future development of a commercial farm business sector were however made. The author wishes to express his sincere appreci atio n to Professor W. N. Thompson who acted as his academic advisor at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. During this period^ the author has experienced special difficulties not typical of many students. Professor Thompson on all occa­ sions willingly granted his time and counsel to encourage the author through difficult times. Thanks are due to Professor Jean M. Due who has always been a personal friend and teacher. The author is also grateful to Professor Gerald L. Karr who not only assisted in the collection of data that formed the basis of this study, but who also supervised the writing of this thesis while Professor Thompson was on assignment in India. His deep and sincere interest in the economic development of Sierra Leone and in the author1s writing of a problem solving thesis were great inspiration at all times. Finally the author extends his sincere thanks to the staff and volunteers of the United States Peace Corps who worked with the Sierra Leone rice farmers in the imple­ mentation of the 1968 Rice Farming Scheme.
dc.identifier.urihttps://www.suaire.sua.ac.tz/handle/20.500.14820/7900
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherUniversity of Illinois
dc.subjectHousehold labor
dc.subjectDouble cropping
dc.subjectSwamp Rice
dc.subjectWest African agricultural economics
dc.subjectInland-valley swamps
dc.subjectSierra Leone
dc.titleThe economics of rice production in the inland-valley swamps of Sierra Leone
dc.typeThesis

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