As part of a major push to enhance the quality of local rice production in Sierra Leone, the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security (MAFS), Dr. Henry Musa Kpaka on Saturday, 22nd March, 2025 officially commissioned and handed over dozens of rice and vegetable production, processing machines and otherpost-harvest equipment and facilities to 23 inland valley swamp (IVS) rice farmer-based organizations (FBOs) in various farming communities in Sierra Leone.
The equipment includes power tillers, reapers, threshers, rice milling machines, rice perboilers, destoners, winnowers among other things were provided by the IFAD funded Agriculture Value Chain Development Project (AVDP) through MAFS. The 23 groups consisting of 25 members each were also provided with grain stores accompanied bydrying floors, water facilities, latrines and solar-powered irrigation boreholes at some of the farm sites so that farmers can increase their yields and improve the quality of production thereby doing farming as a lucrative business, providing livelihoods and sustainable income generation.
Speaking at the handing over ceremony in Bo, Dr. Kpaka extended gratitude to IFAD and the other related donors for supporting the AVDP to enhance the “Feed Salone” initiative. The Ministeremphasized that the support aligns with the Government’s efforts to boost productivity, reduce post harvest losses, add value to local rice production, and reduce import dependency of rice which is the country’s main staple food. He encouraged the farmers to ensure that their products are branded to reflect Sierra Leone’s agricultural potential while encouraging Sierra Leone to be proud of the locally produced rice so that the importation of rice can be minimized drastically.
Project Manager of AVDP,Madam Monica Kwame-Greene noted that under the supervision of the ministry, AVDP will continue to provide the much needed support to farmers especially in the areas of providing technical training, quality agricultural inputs, support cash-for-work initiatives as well as create access and linkage to marketfor smallholder farmers in all the project’s operational areas.
In 2024, the AVDP fully developed more than 1,850 hectares of swamps. In the 2025 farming season, 1,800 hectares is being developed and rehabilitated to reach the project’s overall target of 6,000 hectares, thanks to IFAD and the Government of Sierra Leone.
The event was climaxed bythe Minister’s field visit to one of the farm sites at Moyamba Junction where a constructed grain store was unveiled and the new equipment and facilities inspected and operated by the Minister to ascertain their quality and operational efficiency.In a jubilant atmosphere, the farmers expressed their appreciation to the Government of Sierra Leone, IFAD and the AVDP management of the laudable gesture.
