By: Claudia Redwood-Sawyerr
The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Dr. Henry Musa Kpaka, has praised Bombali District for its significant contribution to President Julius Maada Bio’s flagship Feed Salone initiative. Minister Kpaka made the remarks during the Civic Day Series held at the University of Makeni campus on Tuesday, September 16, 2025.
“When President Bio launched Feed Salone, his goal was to ensure that we achieve food self-sufficiency. Without food self-sufficiency, we cannot truly be independent as a people,” he stated.
Minister Kpaka highlighted the immense role that Bombali has played in advancing the Feed Salone project.
“Bombali, you should be proud of yourselves. Makeni is home to the only premier rice milling facility in the country. Bombali also houses the country’s only commercial hatchery and is the second-largest producer of eggs in Sierra Leone,” he said.
He further noted, “In the past two years, the district has cultivated over 5,000 hectares of rice. Additionally, Bombali produces at least 5,000 eggs per day, with prices more affordable compared to other regions.”
Dr. Kpaka attributed these achievements to the government’s policy of supporting farmers and creating space for private sector investment. He explained that the government had established flexible credit lines of up to $10 million for farmers and agripreneurs to access low-interest loans for investment.
“Farmers in Bombali have seized this opportunity and are now producing enough to supply the World Food Program for the school feeding programs across the country,” he added.
The Minister also acknowledged some of the challenges faced by the agricultural sector and reassured farmers and businesspeople that the government would continue to offer support to ensure further growth in the industry.