By Emma Black

The Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Henry Musa Kpaka, has engaged stakeholders, farmers, and schools in Kenema District as part of his nationwide tour to mark World Food Day and the second anniversary of the Feed Salone initiative.

The tour highlighted government’s ongoing efforts to transform agriculture into a sustainable business, expand access to finance for farmers, and improve food systems to meet national needs.

At the Government Secondary School and Holy Rosary Secondary School in Kenema, Dr. Kpaka handed over a total of 600 bags of locally produced rice 300 bags to each school. The donation forms part of the World Bank–funded Food System Resilience Programme (FSRP), which is piloting agricultural support in eight government boarding schools.

The initiative also includes fish ponds and greenhouse farming, providing not only nutritious meals for pupils but also hands-on agricultural learning opportunities. In a meeting at Apex Bank in Kenema, Dr. Kpaka stressed the importance of access to finance in scaling up farming activities.

“We believe that getting access to finance right will allow our farmers to do business on a large scale, bringing more income to farmers and to the country. President Julius Maada Bio is deliberate in injecting capital into Apex Banks to ensure farmers can access the resources they need,” he said.

He also addressed citizens via Rural Farmers Radio 98.9 FM, an IFAD-supported initiative under the Rural Finance and Community Improvement Programme (RFCIP), urging Sierra Leoneans to embrace the call of “Grow Salone, Buy Salone, Feed Salone.”

The Minister’s field tour included a visit to a 10-hectare Inland Valley Swamp (IVS) rice farm supported by the Agricultural Value Chain Development Project (AVDP). According to Project Manager Madam Monica Kwame-Green, the scheme has empowered 210 farmer groups, each cultivating 10 hectares of IVS rice, in line with President Bio’s push to boost local production.

Dr. Kpaka praised AVDP’s efforts in providing seeds, fertilizers, power tillers, and extension services, calling it “the kind of collective effort needed to sustainably feed Salone.”

The Minister also visited, Capitol facility, where he sampled locally made chocolate of international standards. A JICA-supported demonstration site at the Chinese Farm showcasing TP-R rice technology. His own 12-hectare IVS farm, where he performed a symbolic rice harvest.

Wrapping up his visit, Dr. Kpaka reaffirmed government’s commitment to expanding agricultural productivity to create jobs, especially for women and youth, while strengthening household incomes.

His nationwide tour is set to continue this week in Bo and Pujehun districts as Sierra Leone gears up for this year’s World Food Day celebrations.

Copyright –Published in Expo Times News on Friday, 3rd October 2025 (ExpoTimes News – Expo Media Group (expomediasl.com)