– By: Sulaiman Jalloh
Sierra Leone’s Minister of Agriculture and Food Security has outlined some of the key strategies planned for the achievement of the ‘feed salone’ agenda initiated by the Bio-led administration. Dr. Henry Musa Kpaka has disclosed that the ‘feed salone’ agenda is to make sure all of the perennial problems on food are solved and jobs are provided for the young people of Sierra Leone.
He noted that for Sierra Leone to solve all the perennial problems like the importation of rice, onions and other local commodities must stop and focus on growing homegrown food stuffs, adding that the importation of what Sierra Leoneans consume as a country needs to be addressed.
Dr. Kpaka stated that President Bio is determined to ensure that there is food self-sufficiency and that youth unemployment is equally minimized if not eradicated.
‘We have some risk climate change,’ he said, adding however that the ‘feed salone’ will not only focus on producing food and providing jobs but also it will be done responsively in making sure that generations to come feed themselves.
He noted that some of the problems that agriculture faces will not only affect the agriculture sector, but others too, suggesting that all hands should therefore come on deck.
Minister Kpaka revealed that, from 2018-2023 the government has spent about 1.3 billion Leones just to purchase food, adding that, if that money would have been used in another developmental agenda, it would have improved the living condition of citizens.
Copy right –Printed in the Expo Times Week end Newspaper on Friday 13th October, 2023 (ExpoTimes News – Expo Media Group (expomediasl.com)