By Saidu Jalloh
As the Feed Salone initiative enters its second planting season, the need for agricultural machinery to increase food production across the country has become critical. In response to this growing demand, the Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Henry Musa Kpaka, officially handed over gender-friendly agricultural machinery including production and processing equipment to 23 Inland Valley Swamp (IVS) rice groups in the Bo and Moyamba districts.
This initiative is aimed at enhancing local rice production and supporting the country’s agricultural growth.
During the handing-over ceremony, Dr. Kpaka emphasized the urgent need for agricultural machinery, particularly equipment that can be operated by women. He noted that the success of Feed Salone largely depends on empowering women, who play a vital role in advancing the initiative. “This intervention aligns with the government’s efforts to boost productivity, stimulate the local economy, and reduce dependency on imports.
Our women and youth are at the forefront of President Bio’s Feed Salone initiative; they are the backbone of agriculture, and we must empower them to produce more rice products that showcase Sierra Leone’s agricultural potential,” he said. The Minister also expressed gratitude to IFAD and other donors for their continued support through the Agricultural Value Chain Development Project (AVDP).
Additionally, AVDP Project Manager Madam Monica Kwame-Greene provided detailed information about the donated equipment, which includes power tillers, rice threshers, rice mills, parboilers, reapers, and destoners. These machines are intended to enhance mechanized farming. She also mentioned that the project has assisted the 23 rice groups with cash-for-work initiatives, technical training, quality inputs, grain storage facilities with drying floors, water wells, and solar-powered irrigation boreholes to improve sustainability in farming practices.
So far, the project has developed 1,850 hectares of swamps out of a target of 2,100 hectares for the 2024/2025 planting season, with an additional 1,800 hectares currently receiving support. The assistance provided by AVDP is critical in ensuring the long-term sustainability of rice farming in Sierra Leone.
In Moyamba District, the Minister inaugurated a grain store, unveiled the new equipment, and symbolically launched the farming season by operating a puddling machine. Jubilant farmers expressed their optimism as AVDP reaffirmed its commitment to securing a brighter future for smallholder farmers in the region. With the ongoing support of organizations like the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the World Food Programme, and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the future of Sierra Leone’s agricultural sector looks promising.