The Sierra Leone Regional Rice Value Chain Project (RRVCP) in the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) has held its inaugural National Steering Committee meeting to inform their members about the progress of the project. The committee is charged with the responsibility of providing high-level policy advisory and overseeing project implementation. The project is jointly funded by the Government of Sierra Leone, the Islamic Development Bank and Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA).
The meeting brought together the Ministers of Gender and Children’s Affairs, Environment, Trade and Industry, Water Resources, Youth, Finance including the Senior Economist from the Ministry of Planning and Economic Development and other agriculture sector partners to approve the annual work plan, budget, and the procurement plan for the Regional Rice Value Chain Project.
The overall objective of the RRVCP is to contribute to reducing the high rice importation and enhance economic growth through improved production, processing and marketing as well as enhancing private sector participation in the country. The acting Minister of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF), Abu Bakarr Karim, in his opening remarks disclosed that the $34.12 million will cover five projects targeting two districts including, Bonthe district in the South and Kambia district in the North. He said the project will target 7,000 farmers of which 5,000 will be targeted in Tormabum (Bonthe district) and 2,000 in Mambolo and Samu chiefdoms, respectively in the Kambia district.
He added that the project is designed for five participating countries in the West Africa sub region including, The Gambia, Guinea, Niger, Senegal and Sierra Leone, and will run for over 10 years. “Sierra Leone is importing what it can produce in abundance. There is sufficient land suitable for rice farming, with vast grassland agro-ecology zones in the country (bolilands, riverain) and inland valley swamps (IVS), providing best options. It is in this regard, that President Bio approached the Islamic Development Bank in 2018 to include Sierra Leone in the Regional Rice Value Chain Program,” he revealed.
In his PowerPoint presentation, the RRVCP Project Coordinator in the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF), Abdulai Bun Wai, said the project will support smallholder farmers to be organised into productive entities for cultivating the 35,000 hectares of farmland to increase on their income, reduce poverty and food insecurity, as well as improve on the livelihood of rural population.
He noted that the project will contribute to an increased production of rice by 50% using the private sector value chain approach with support from other agricultural entities. He emphasised that the 7,000 farmers will be supported with certified seeds, rice and quality fertilisers including the rehabilitation of two mill machines in Tormabum, three storage facilities for farmers, two rural market facilities, and capacitate farmer cooperatives comprising 45 women and 45 youth groups.
By Mohamed Kabba