By: Thaimu Bai Sesay
Reassuring Sierra Leoneans of President Bio’s priority, the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security Dr. Musa Kpaka has on Tuesday 10 October 2023 in a press briefing revealed that the Ministry would be launching ‘the Feed Salone Strategy on Monday during the World Food Day in Pujehun district.
Explaining why Feed Salone, Dr. Kpaka disclosed that the President had seen that in time to come if Sierra Leone could not grow its food the country would have to suffer for failing to do so. The Agriculture Minister said apart from making ‘Feed Salone’ a laudable success, he assured that President Bio would ensure that young people looking out for jobs would definitely find pleasure in taking agricultural jobs.
The Minister disclosed that when August arrived he declared it as a strategic month, adding that the Ministry had put in place all paper works. He revealed that he had travelled to overseas to talk to partners and other technical partners to come and support Sierra Leone to achieve the ‘Feed Salone’ project, adding that he had also engaged communities across the country.
The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security recalled that just from the little effort the President implored by providing funding, machinery and engaged youths, he revealed that they were able to achieve 21 percent in rice production in 2021. “That showed that if Sierra Leone implores more effort as the President has taken the challenge the country would be able to feed itself,” he emphasized.
The Minister assured that the project would not only provide food sufficiency in the country but would equally boost the country’s economy in a responsible way so that generations yet unborn would survive from the goals of ‘Feed Salone’.
In his statement at the press briefing, Chief Dr. Alfred G.O Dixion, Chairman of Sierra Leone Agricultural Research Institute Council (SLARIC) expressed that President Bio’s Feed Salone strategy was one of the best initiatives to redeem the country from the total dependency from other countries for food.
As a necessary step forward towards achieving Feed Salone, Dr. Dixion called to mind that (SLARIC) had made reasonable efforts to review its act and said, that had revamp the research centre, adding that there were important areas missing in the act during Pa. Kabba’s tenure.
He assured Sierra Leoneans that his local and international experience together with the Minister’s local and international experience would surely deliver the ‘Feed Salone’ strategy of President Bio’s agenda. “It would not happen overnight but I will assure you that with togetherness ‘Feed Salone’ would come to a past”, he assured.
Madam Yatta Samah President for National Federation of Farmers in Sierra Leone recalled that Sierra Leone had been feeding itself but said it came to a time when the country could no longer cater for itself.
Explaining the consequences, Madam Yatta expressed that if the country entirely depends on other countries to feed itself she said it could not make substantive decisions on its own and stand by them. She therefore thanked His Excellency President Julius Maada Bio for introducing Feed Salone initiative. “The Feed Salone initiative should not be ‘tribalism’ or regionalize but should be taken as a national agenda,” the farmer’s President stated.
Madam Yatta disclosed that majority of the farmers didn’t even understand the ‘Feed Salone’ initiative and said that it is their responsibility and the responsibility of everyone to educate the farmers on the ‘Feed Salone’ initiative and ensures that the initiative become a solid reality.