By: Isatu Yollah Bangura, Intern
The Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (MAFS) and the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces (RSLAF) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to institutionalize the purchase of locally produced rice from the Feed Salone Strategic Grain Reserve.
The agreement was formalized at Kobia Store in Kambia District, where the Feed Salone Rice Supply and Value Chain Project (FSRP) stored about 10,000 bags of rice two years ago as part of the country’s strategic reserve for emergencies.
Speaking at the ceremony, Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Henry Musa Kpaka, said the MoU is aimed at transforming the Strategic Grain Reserve into a reliable market for local farmers.
“Today, we have no crisis, and that is why we are signing an agreement that allows the government to purchase the rice for the military, so that the money will go back to farmers to scale up production,” Minister Kpaka said.
As an initial step, the military purchased 9,000 50-kilogramme bags of locally produced rice at a competitive price.
Minister Kpaka said the initiative would provide farmers with a ready market, ensure the rotation of rice stocks in the strategic reserve, and reduce the military’s reliance on imported rice.
“This means three things: farmers get a market, our rice reserves are rotated, and the military imports less rice,” he said.
He added that the initiative forms part of efforts to strengthen Sierra Leone’s domestic food system by increasing local production, promoting local purchasing, and retaining more value within the country.
Meanwhile, RSLAF has cultivated approximately 1,000 hectares of farmland this year as part of efforts to increase domestic rice production and reduce rice imports for military feeding.
Deputy Minister of Defence, Colonel (Rtd.) Muana Brima Massaquoi, said the military remains committed to supporting national food security.
“We can feed ourselves. It is a challenge, but through Feed Salone, we are determined to achieve it,” he said.
The FSRP, through the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, will continue to support smallholder farmers to increase production and contribute to the government’s Feed Salone initiative.