By Chernor Alimamy Kamara
In order to advance the “Feed Salone’’ Flagship Programme and boost agricultural productivity, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food Security (MAFFS) has committed to increase local food production.
It also aims to reduce dependence on food imports, reduce hunger, increase export earnings, create jobs and build resilience.
The Agriculture Ministry was one among several Ministries, Departments and Agencies that presented their annual budget at the Ministry of Finance on the 19th of October 2023.
The Agric. Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Andrew L. Sorie noted that Sierra Leone must grow enough to feed itself in the immediate term, noting that the country annually imports over 500 million dollars worth of various food items.
He said the key objective of Feed Salone is to increase local production in key value chains, such as rice, poultry, onion, vegetable oil and dairy products and reduce reliance on their importation.
He stated that the agriculture sector must create more jobs and pay a living wage, saying although over 65% of the population depends on agriculture for livelihood support, formal jobs in the sector are limited and wages the lowest.
He assured that Feed Salone will focus on value addition and market linkages involving the private sector that will see the establishment of agro-industrial zones in key production centres that will create jobs for thousands of women and youths.
Sorie pointed out that the World Food Programme (WFP) has documented how Sierra Leone continues to have an unacceptably high rate of food insecurity and malnutrition with over one million people considered chronically hungry. He added that climate change poses a big threat to the country’s food system where large variations in yields make farmers increasingly vulnerable.
“Adapting climate-smart technologies and practices in our production systems and protecting farmers against climate shocks is a key objective of the Feed Salone Programme,” he said.
Presenting their key deliverables for the Fiscal Year (FY) 2023, Sorie said they have finalized bilateral ties to operationalize the National Food Security Reserve Strategy and food stock governance mechanisms for the establishment of a National Food Reserve in Sierra Leone.
He said they have conducted an Annual Agricultural Production Survey for 2023/2024 to show production and yield trends for key agricultural produce alongside household farm income. He also said that they have conducted the Food Security Monitoring Systems Survey to capture food insecure and vulnerable populations at the chiefdom level.
For FY 2024, he noted that if the budget is allocated to them appropriately, they will conduct digital registration of farmers along key agricultural commodities, support land development and the production of 1,500 hectares of onion, support market aggregation of farmers through the establishment of five cash crop cooperatives, among others.
Sorie then submitted a budget estimate of 250 (two hundred and fifty) million dollars which would also support Feed Salone.
The Ministry of Agriculture Forestry and Food Security is mandated to stimulate and support sustainable diversified production of food, ensuring food sufficiency, gainful employment and preserving the environment.
Copyright © 2023 Politico (20/10/23)
