By Saidu Jalloh, Daily Scope Reporter
Dr. Henry Musa Kpaka, the Minister of Agriculture, has been actively engaging with stakeholders in Kenema District as part of a nationwide field tour in anticipation of World Food Day and the second anniversary of the Feed Salone initiative.
During his visit, Minister Kpaka met with farmers, local authorities, and schoolchildren to assess the progress of the government’s Feed Salone program, promote agriculture as a viable business, and provide updates on preparations for this year’s World Food Day celebration.
As a highlight of the visit, the Minister donated 600 bags of 50 kg of locally produced rice to two schools in Kenema—Government Secondary School and Holy Rosary Secondary School, with each receiving 300 bags. This donation is part of a 100-hectare rice support initiative under the World Bank-funded Food System Resilience Programme (FSRP). Dr. Kpaka explained that this initiative supports eight government boarding schools, offering not only nutritious food for students but also hands-on agricultural learning opportunities. He affirmed the government’s commitment to expanding agricultural support to schools, including the establishment of fish ponds and greenhouses.
At the Apex Bank in Kenema, the Minister emphasized the need to enhance access to finance for farmers through rural banking initiatives.
“We believe that improving access to finance will enable our farmers to scale their operations, increasing income for both farmers and the country. President Julius Maada Bio is focused on injecting capital into Apex Banks to ensure farmers have the resources they need,” he stated.
Furthermore, Dr. Kpaka addressed local citizens via Rural Farmers Radio 98.9 FM, an initiative funded by IFAD under the Rural Finance and Community Improvement Programme (RFCIP), reinforcing the message of “Grow Salone, Buy Salone, Feed Salone.”
Continuing his tour, Minister Kpaka visited a 10-hectare Inland Valley Swamp (IVS) site supported by the Agricultural Value Chain Development Project (AVDP). Project Manager Madam Monica Kwame-Green reported that the project has empowered 210 farmer groups, each cultivating 10 hectares of IVS rice, in alignment with the President’s call to enhance local food production.
Dr. Kpaka praised the AVDP for its provision of seeds, fertilizers, power tillers, and extension services, calling it “the kind of collective effort needed to sustainably feed Salone.”
The Minister concluded his day by exploring a Capitol facility, where he sampled locally made chocolate of international standards, visited a JICA-supported demonstration site at the Chinese Farm showcasing TP-R technology, and toured his own 12-hectare IVS farm, where he performed a symbolic rice harvest.
He urged Sierra Leoneans to embrace agriculture as a means to feed the nation, create jobs for women and youth, and improve household incomes.
The Minister’s tour is set to continue on Thursday in the Bo and Pujehun districts.
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