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Livestock and livestock-derived food products form a vital economic and nutritional resource across Sierra Leone, yet their public handling – from farm to market – remains largely unregulated and poses significant public health risks. This study assessed the health risks associated with the public handling of livestock and livestock food products in Makeni City, Sierra Leone, guided by three objectives: evaluating the adequacy of handling facilities, examining the impact of legislation in minimizing associated health risks, and assessing the level of health education and awareness among handlers. A descriptive survey design was employed, combining self-administered questionnaires and structured interviews with 60 purposively sampled respondents, including livestock deliverers, processors, lairage operators, and vendors of meat, milk, and poultry. Data were analysed using SPSS version 26. Findings revealed that livestock handling facilities – lairages, abattoirs, market stalls, and transport systems – are predominantly inadequate, characterized by open sheds, unsealed clay/laterite flooring, poor pest-proofing, and an absence of cold storage or veterinary laboratory access. Pre-slaughter stress was reported as largely uncontrolled, and postmortem examination relied mainly on physical rather than laboratory verification, leaving disease screening gaps. While a majority of respondents were aware that regulatory laws exist and reported the City Council as the dominant enforcement authority, compliance with specific regulations – particularly transport and licensing requirements – was weak, and punitive enforcement (fines, business closure) predominated over supportive interventions. Respondents identified direct interaction with diseased animals and zoonotic disease transmission as the principal health risks arising from weak enforcement. Encouragingly, most handlers had received some health education, primarily through training workshops emphasizing food contamination and One Health principles, with strong demand for more frequent (quarterly or monthly) sensitization. The study concludes that infrastructural deficiencies, inconsistent regulatory enforcement, and gaps in laboratory-based disease surveillance collectively heighten zoonotic and contamination risks in Makeni's livestock trade. It recommends prioritized infrastructural investment, strengthened veterinary-inclusive enforcement, and sustained, recurrent health education to safeguard public health under a One Health framework.
Maize (Zea mays L.) is a critical food and cash crop in Sierra Leone, yet national yields remain far below potential, partly due to reliance on non-standardized plant spacing practices among smallholder farmers. This study evaluated the effect of four plant spacing arrangements, viz: T1 (75 cm × 25 cm), T2 (60 cm × 30 cm), T3 (50 cm × 25 cm), and T4 (35 cm × 35 cm, control) to explore on the vegetative growth, yield components, and grain yield of maize at the Faculty of Agriculture Experimental Farm, Ernest Bai Koroma University of Science and Technology, Makeni, Bombali District, Sierra Leone. A Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with four replications was used, and treatment means were compared using the Least Significant Difference (LSD) test at the 5% probability level.
Results showed that plant height and Leaf Area Index (LAI) were significantly higher under narrower spacing (T3 and T4), with the control producing the tallest plants (158.8 cm) and highest mean LAI (5.10), while whole plant weight showed no consistent density-dependent pattern. Individual ear-level traits – ear length, kernel row number, ear wet weight, and 1000-grain mass – were consistently superior under wider spacing (T1 and T2), reflecting reduced inter-plant competition. However, grain yield followed the opposite trend: the denser treatments (T3 and T4) significantly outyielded the wider-spaced treatments by 42–45%, achieving 5,420–5,440 kg/ha compared with 3,750–3,830 kg/ha, demonstrating that greater plant population per unit area compensated for smaller individual ears.
The study concludes that total plant population, rather than row-to-intra-row geometry, was the primary determinant of both canopy development and final grain yield. Closer, equidistant spacing (50 cm × 25 cm or 35 cm × 35 cm) is recommended for maximizing grain yield per hectare, while wider spacing remains preferable where individual ear size and grain quality are prioritized, such as for fresh-market or premium-grain production.
The research investigates the effects of road network on agricultural productivity in Bumban Section of the Briwa Chiefdom Bombali District, North Eastern Province of Sierra Leone in a bid to reinforce impacts of roads in agricultural development. The objectives of the study were as follows: to explore the challenges related to road infrastructure and distance influencing agricultural productivity in Bumban section; to assess the effect of road network on pre-cultivation, cultivation, and post-harvest decisions in Bumban section; to determine the effect of road network on product disposal in Bumban section. A descriptive survey design was adopted utilizing a population sample of 53 farmers of Bumban. Data collected by questionnaires was analysed using SPSS 26HS software. Results showed that: The selling problems of farm products and predominant use of domestic tools were the factors of low farm productivity eroding the impetus to invest on road network. In addition, lack of support from government was a greater cause for prevalence of poor road network compared with low farm yield. Majority of the farmers traverse long farm-to-road distances, carry headloads of products resulting in delay in products delivery to market, while covey products to market via motorbikes at high fares and froth with accidents – occasioning product wastage and spoilage. These were shown to lead to lower disposable market units and farm returns. The researcher concluded that despite being agriculturally endowed, Bumban succumbs to low agricultural productivity owing to inadequate road network and the associated inadequate predisposed pre-cultivation, cultivation, post-harvest and marketing decisions and options. The researcher recommended that to significantly improve agricultural productivity Bumban Section and Bombali District, rural road network must be treated as a primary factor of production rather than a supplementary amenity. The government and stakeholders must shift from simply establishing roads to actively upgrading and maintaining them.
Haryana has an important source of drinking water, irrigation and industrial supply in ground water. However, the quality of groundwater varies considerably throughout the state because of variations in geology, geomorphology, rainfall, aquifer characteristics, agricultural intensity, urbanization and groundwater extraction. This mini-review compiles the findings of government reports and peer-reviewed studies on the spatial distribution, sources and impacts of salinity, fluoride and nitrate contamination in Haryana. Evidence available suggests that relatively fresh groundwater is generally found in the north-eastern districts and areas affected by river and canal recharge. Saline and sodic groundwater is more common in the arid and semi-arid western, south-western and poorly drained central districts. Parts of Panipat, Bhiwani, Hisar, Jhajjar, Rohtak, Mahendragarh and adjoining areas have reported fluoride enrichment. Nitrate contamination is more spatially diffuse and is mostly associated with fertilizer application, livestock waste, sewage leakage, septic systems and poor sanitation. These contaminants reduce the safety of drinking-water, increase non-carcinogenic health risk and affect agricultural productivity through soil salinization, sodicity and ion toxicity. Children may be especially vulnerable to health risks from fluoride and nitrate. Hence, Haryana requires aquifer-specific monitoring, village-level water-quality mapping, conjunctive use of canal and groundwater, regulation of agrochemical inputs, managed aquifer recharge, and locally appropriate water-treatment systems. The decline in ground water quality in Haryana should be viewed as an integrated problem of geography, environment, agriculture & public health, not just as a water treatment issue.
Excessive exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation can cause skin damage, premature aging, and skin cancer. This study aimed to formulate and evaluate a marine herbal sunscreen stick using Kappaphycus alvarezii, zinc oxide, and natural ingredients such as beeswax, shea butter, coconut oil, carrot seed oil, and vitamin E. The prepared formulations were evaluated for physical appearance, pH, spreadability, antioxidant activity, anti-inflammatory activity, and Sun Protection Factor (SPF). The optimized formulation showed good physical properties, satisfactory spreadability, a skin-friendly pH (6–7), 56% antioxidant activity, 61% anti-inflammatory activity, and an SPF value of 15. The results indicate that the marine herbal sunscreen stick provides effective UV protection and has promising antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Therefore, it may serve as a safe and eco-friendly alternative to conventional sunscreens.
Objective: To formulate and evaluate a marine herbal sunscreen stick containing Kappaphycus alvarezii and natural ingredients for photoprotective efficacy.