By: Precious Miracle Kargbo
On the stride to implement the feed Salone programme. Integrating with partners, growing local produce, importing and exporting local produce, President Julius Maada Bio on Wednesday 18th October 2023 maintained that government will work effortlessly that all public and private institutions in the country benefit hugely in the Feed Salone programme.
He made this statement in Pujehun district during the official launching of the feed salone program at the locality.
Delivering the key note statement, President Julius Maada Bio maintains that his pledge to support women in agriculture and food production especially in the rural areas is non-negotiable in the Feed Salone program and special incentives women dramas and agriprenuers to create the opportunity for women in agriculture. President Bio carry on that Paramount chiefs are to be treated with a lot of respects because they serve as the capacity of a Father in the society which needs the full support so that they can actively engage in their agricultural work and improve their quality of life, He promised to work hand in hand with all agriculture productivity in the country.
President Bio assures that his Government has created strategic policy to ensure high a high percentage of staples foods to supply to various government institutions like the military, correctional centers, police, air force, hospitals and locally produced products in the country from the east, west, north and south. He promised to give more strength and support to the agricultural sector which in turn will help boost the desire from all in the society to achieve the feed salone project.
Opening the grounds, citizens expressed appreciation and confident on President Bio and his flagship programme Feed Salone because they thought he had proven himself in the Free quality education project before. Honorable Ibrahim Tawa Conteh Immediately the chairman of the parliamentary oversight committee for agriculture as he wasted no time to appeal for the 10 percent agriculture in the Maputo deal or agreement which involves a whooping sum of $300 billion which means that for the president to succeed with this programme then there must be all hands on deck from the commercial institutions and farmers also because all what is needed to accomplish this project is $1.6 million dollars. Tawa closed by stating that for the feed salone project to be successful then there should be an increment in the budget.
Furthermore, the chairman Presidential initiative on climate change, renewable energy and food security Honorable Dr Kandeh Yumkella identifies that in order for the feed salone project to be successful different stakeholders should come together as one as the President in his stead has done all what is necessary for the Feed Salone Project as direct authority has been delegated to all ministers to support farmers and industry on all equipment’s that should be used to ensure the success of this project. He added that all what is left to do is in the hands of farmers, paramount chiefs, members of parliament and councilors as they should ensure that materials and fertilizers should be made available at all time and if in the position they are not supplied to them then they should not hesitate to call and relay those complaints.
Conclusively, Hon Kandeh explains that everywhere in the world in order for transformation there has to be a political will and for them as a government their will is clear which is necessarily by prioritizing feeding every citizen in Sierra Leone and transforming agriculture and later joins the call of Honorable Tawa that there is a need to dip all hands in the bucket with real partnership to transform the nation. He said “indeed water is life, with irrigation we can do multiple crops, but we need to develop the land, as there is an ambition, political will ready to deliver if everyone can come on board to partner”.