News in brief: Sierra Leone President Julius Maada Bio has launched the Presidential Council for the Feed Salone Initiative, which aims to revolutionise agriculture and achieve food sovereignty, job creation, and economic growth.
Sierra Leone President Julius Maada Bio officially launched the Presidential Council for delivering the Feed Salone Initiative. He also directed the newly formed body to revolutionise agriculture for all Sierra Leoneans.
The formation of the council is in accordance with President Bio’s declaration that agriculture and food security are his second term’s foremost priorities.
The Feed Salone Initiative is a flagship program designed to achieve his vision to transform the agriculture sector. It aims to ensure food sovereignty, create jobs, reduce hunger, and boost economic growth in the country.
The Presidential Council is composed of experts from a variety of fields, including agriculture, economics, and business. They will be responsible for overseeing the implementation of the initiative and ensuring that it achieves its goals.
Furthermore, a local report said that many with the country see the launch of the Presidential Council as a significant step forward in efforts to improve agriculture in Sierra Leone. Their expertise and experience will be essential to the success of the initiative.
Agriculture is the mainstay of the Sierra Leonean economy, employing over 42% of the labour force in 2021. The country is endowed with a favourable agricultural conditions like arable land, abundant rainfall, a temperate climate, and several rivers with significant irrigation potential.
However, the agricultural sector is constrained by limited access to land and disputes, lack of access to credit, poor infrastructure, among others.
Despite these challenges, the Sierra Leone government has made agriculture and food a priority sector in recent years. It has launched a number of other initiatives to support farmers including the Smallholder Commercialization Programme and The National Agricultural Policy.
