Ministry of Agriculture Concludes Planning Meeting for 2025 Feed Salone Initiative
The Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (MAFS) has concluded a two-day strategic planning meeting aimed at enhancing agricultural productivity for the 2025 planting season under the Feed Salone initiative.
The meeting, held on February 10-11 at the Youyi Building in Freetown, brought together District Agriculture Officers (DAOs) and Project Managers to review 2024 progress and set targets for the upcoming year.
In 2024, Sierra Leone cultivated approximately 30,000 hectares of rice under Feed Salone. However, flooding accounted for a 5% loss in total yield, while 15% was allocated to institutional feeding, saving the government an estimated $24 million in food-related costs. Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Dr. Henry Musa Kpaka, described 2024 as a “learning year” and urged stakeholders to strengthen collaboration for improved outcomes in 2025.
MAFS has outlined key objectives to enhance agricultural output, including:
- Expanding rice cultivation to 35,000 hectares.
- Attracting new machine investors to increase efficiency.
- Implementing GPS monitoring technology to track cultivated land.
- Pre-positioning all agricultural inputs by May 15.
- Deploying harvesters by June 30.
- Strengthening the ‘win-win’ initiative, which supplies farmers with inputs in exchange for selling produce to the Sierra Leone Produce Marketing Corporation.
The first day of the meeting featured presentations on major agricultural projects, including the Food System Resilience Program, Smallholder Commercialization Agribusiness Development Project, and the Regional Rice Value Chain Project. DAOs also reported district-level challenges, highlighting limited access to certified seeds and the high cost of land preparation.
On the second day, project teams outlined their 2025 work plans, emphasizing timely implementation and the alignment of the Field Tracker system to enhance project monitoring.
Deputy Minister II, Sahr Hemore, stressed the need for farmers to adopt a business mindset, warning that the government cannot provide free inputs indefinitely.
“Farmers must see agriculture as a business and be willing to take necessary risks,” he said.
Deputy Minister I, Dr. Theresa Tenneh Dick, also addressed concerns about land grabbing, assuring swift intervention by MAFS leadership.
The meeting concluded with a renewed commitment to achieving the 2025 targets, ensuring food security, and strengthening Sierra Leone’s agricultural sector.
