By: Yusuf Ibrahim Kamara
Sierra Leone is stepping up efforts to strengthen domestic food production, reduce dependence on imported food commodities, and build a more resilient agricultural sector as the government advances the implementation of its flagship Feed Salone initiative.
Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Dr. Henry Musa Kpaka, highlighted these developments while presenting the third-year report on the Feed Salone programme during activities marking World Food Day on Thursday at the Ernest Bai Koroma University of Science and Technology. The celebration was held under the theme, “Innovate Today and Nourish Tomorrow.”
During his presentation, Dr. Kpaka outlined progress in domestic rice production, a reduction in onion imports, and growth in local poultry production. He attributed these developments to increased investment in agricultural inputs, certified seeds, rice milling facilities, and infrastructure aimed at improving productivity and strengthening the country’s capacity to meet its food requirements.
The minister’s presentation highlighted the government’s continued efforts to transform agriculture into a more productive and commercially viable sector. Through Feed Salone, the government seeks to improve food availability, create opportunities for farmers, strengthen agricultural value chains, and reduce the country’s vulnerability to international food market disruptions.
A key component of this strategy is the expansion of institutional markets to support local producers. The government’s school feeding programme, which reached nearly one million pupils during the last academic year, was cited as an important avenue for connecting agricultural production with reliable demand while increasing the proportion of locally produced food supplied to schools.
The initiative is expected to provide farmers with more predictable markets, encourage increased production, and support the development of local agricultural businesses. Strengthening these connections between farmers, processors, and institutional buyers remains important to ensuring that increased agricultural output translates into sustainable economic benefits for farming communities.
As the Feed Salone programme enters its fourth year, Dr. Kpaka indicated that the focus would shift towards making existing agricultural investments fully operational and ensuring that ongoing projects deliver tangible benefits to farmers and the wider economy.
Among the priorities are the completion of irrigation facilities and rice processing hubs at Tormabum and Gbondapi. These investments are expected to improve agricultural productivity, support rice processing, and strengthen the country’s domestic food supply chains.
The government also intends to widen access to agricultural financing and markets, with particular attention to women and young people. Improving access to these opportunities is considered essential to encouraging participation in agriculture, supporting rural livelihoods, and creating employment across the agricultural value chain.
However, sustaining the progress made in domestic food production will require continued investment, effective implementation of agricultural policies, and stronger partnerships among government institutions, development partners, farmers, and private-sector stakeholders.
Speaking at the event, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Country Representative, Saeed Abubakar Banice, welcomed the progress reported under Feed Salone and emphasized the importance of further investment in climate-smart agriculture and modern farming technologies.
He underscored the need to promote inclusive agricultural opportunities and strengthen the country’s capacity to withstand climate-related challenges that threaten food production and the livelihoods of farming communities.
Climate-smart agricultural practices, improved technologies, and sustainable production methods are increasingly important as Sierra Leone seeks to improve productivity while responding to changing weather patterns and other environmental pressures.
Banice’s remarks reinforced the importance of ensuring that agricultural development goes beyond increasing production to include sustainability, resilience, and equitable access to opportunities for farmers and other participants in the food system.
World Food Day provided an opportunity for stakeholders to assess progress in agricultural development and renew calls for innovative approaches to addressing food insecurity. The discussions also highlighted the importance of combining domestic investment with international cooperation to strengthen food systems and improve access to nutritious food.
With the fourth year of Feed Salone set to prioritize the effective use of existing investments, attention will be focused on translating reported gains into sustained improvements in agricultural productivity, market access, employment, and national food security.
The success of these efforts will depend not only on completing infrastructure projects but also on ensuring that farmers can access financing, modern technologies, reliable markets, and the support needed to increase production sustainably.
For Sierra Leone, the broader objective remains clear: to build a resilient agricultural sector capable of meeting more of the country’s food needs, supporting economic growth, and improving livelihoods while preparing for the challenges posed by climate change.