By Kadijatu Bangura, Reporter D.S
ROME — Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Dr. Henry Musa Kpaka, has pitched Sierra Leone’s US$760 million agrifood investment plan to international investors, seeking partnerships to boost agricultural production and drive agro-processing.
Dr. Kpaka presented the plan at the Hand-in-Hand Investment Forum held at the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) headquarters in Rome, Italy, where he showcased the country’s vast agricultural potential and rallied support for the government’s flagship Feed Salone initiative.
Developed in collaboration with the FAO under its Hand-in-Hand Initiative, the investment plan targets four key value chains: rice, poultry, cassava and oil palm.
The Minister told investors that Sierra Leone has about 5.4 million hectares of arable land, of which only 15 per cent is currently cultivated. He cited the country’s reliable rainfall, youthful workforce and strong political commitment to food production as compelling reasons to invest.
The $760 million plan is designed to strengthen domestic production, cut import dependence and unlock export opportunities.
According to Dr. Kpaka, two of the value chains — rice and poultry — focus on import substitution to serve domestic and regional markets, while cassava and oil palm offer export potential through processing into starch, flour and refined palm products for value addition.
“We have arable land, a young workforce, and strong political commitment. What we need now are people who believe in us and want to invest in the Feed Salone initiative,” Dr. Kpaka said.
He ended his pitch with a direct call to the global investment community: “Come and invest in Sierra Leone!”
For more information contact Daily Scope Newspaper at dailyscopemedia@gmail.com
