21/11/05 KUALA LUMPUR (Bernama) -- Sierra Leone, is keen to replicate Malaysia's Federal Land Development Authority (Felda) scheme as part of efforts to develop its agriculture sector and eradicate poverty.

Its Minister of Information and Broadcasting, Prof. Septimus Kaikai said he believed that such a land scheme would go a long way in assisting the country to create more jobs and stop urban migration.

"We are a very small country with only five million people. We have a lot of young people who are not working and most of them move to urban areas, so, we want to send them back.

"We are interested to take the land scheme model to create jobs and ask the young people to work on the land to produce the commodity not only for local consumption but for export as well," he told Bernama in an interview here Monday.

Sierra Leone, a poor African nation with tremendous inequality in income distribution, is one of the more than 70 countries attending the Sixth Conference of the Ministers of Information of Non-Aligned Countries (Cominac VI).

The two-day NAM information ministers meeting began here today and was opened by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak who represented Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

Kaikai said that Sierra Leone was very keen to implement a scheme like Felda as the country with its size of 270,000 square miles had a lot of land that could be utilised for plantation.

About two thirds of the working-age population engage in subsistence agriculture.

"Look at what you (Malaysia) have done. You planted palm oil, developed it well to the point that you are able to produce 23 different items from that one product (palm oil) alone," he said.

Kaikai believed that if Sierra Leone could implement what Malaysia has done, it would diversify the country's export products.

With a growth rate of nine percent and inflation rate of 15 percent, the country's main export is diamonds worth US$130 million annually

"So, if we can produce half or three quarters of what you have done, we are on the way to be what you are today. So, it is important for us to get some knowledge and expertise from you (Malaysia)," he said.

The country has faced a lot of destruction since a civil war broke out between the government and the Revolutionary United Front in 1991.

While it has substantial mineral, agricultural and fishery resources, its economic and social infrastructure is not well developed, and serious social disorders continue to hamper economic development.

When asked on whether the agriculture issue has been raised with the Malaysian government, he said that the issue had been brought up and that Malaysia had indicated its willingness to help and share its experience.

Felda, the brainchild of the second Prime Minister of Malaysia, the late Tun Abdul Razak was established in July 1956 as a Federal Statutory Body to channel funds into the development of the remote parts of the country.

It has since 1960 been directly responsible for the actual development ranging from land clearing, planting of main crops, development of villages, selection and placement of settlers, management of projects, provision of credit, processing, marketing service and facilitating social and community development.

-- BERNAMA