By Mohamed Kamara
The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Dr. Henry Musa Kpaka, has revealed in an exclusive interview with this medium that government is financially in place to commence the “Feed Salone” initiative.
And that all sectors necessary to achieving the Feed Salone project’s goals have been put on an alert.
Dr. Kpaka revealed that while he was serving as Technical Adviser of the Agricultural Ministry in the first term of President Bio’s governance, agric ministry disbursed at the time some Ten million United States Dollars (USD 10M) to the private sector.
This was made to happen after thorough investigations on the eligibility of the beneficiaries, he said, had been done, adding that government benefitted two hundred million United States Dollars (USD 200M) in return.
The minister said there was nearly One Hundred and Forty Million United States Dollars (USD 140M) which is in place to service the start of the operation Feed Salone.
He added that the Ministry has reactivated the donor Committee whose responsibilities among other things are to work in line with the donor committee on the preparations put in place that may require donor attention.
He said President Bio has also set up a Presidential Committee which consists of 22 members, and whose responsibilities among other things are to link with other line ministries which may be needed to play an urgent role during the implementation of the project.
He said when it comes to improving the road network leading to operational towns and villages and other issues that may arise therefrom, it will be the responsibility of the committee to fast-track the issue with the Ministry of Works and other sectors whenever such need arises.
With regards the Torma-bum Rice Project, the work is going on intensively in three Chiefdoms to ensure that the rice is available to the market by 2024 despite any challenges that they may be plagued by.
Nevertheless, the minister is hopeful of successes ahead and therefore he maintains that Agriculture is a business not a social service.