By Mohamed Kamara
The Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security has on Thursday October 19, 2023 requested the Ministry of Finance for a bail-out of Two Hundred and Fifty Million, United States Dollars (USD 250M) for the effective implementation of all twenty strategies put in place for the “Feed Salone” project which forms part of President Bio’s 2023 manifesto in his five principal goals.
A top Ministry of Agriculture Official who accompanied the delegation on the presentation of their requests at the Conference Hall of the Finance Ministry says that the Finance Ministry views the request as escalating considering other government projects equally of high consideration in the 2024 budget hearing.
He said the Ministry’s advice for the Private Sector involvement is in place. He went on to say the Ministry has the great support of the Private Sector and will now commence discussion with the relevant Private Sector players on financial implementations bordering the project.
It may be recalled that on Monday October 16, 2023, President Bio launched the “Feed Salone” project in Pujehun district, south of the country.
This came into being shortly after Sierra Leone’s Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Dr. Henry Musa Kpaka, had earlier informed Sierra Leoneans that the Feed Salone project had so far nearly netted about Three Hundred and Forty Million dollars (USD 340M).
The minister also informed development partners and Sierra Leoneans in that meeting that the President has set up a Presidential Committee which consists of 22 members who shall monitor the project implementation effectively and will periodically report to the President. Mr. Kpaka noted that “Feed Salone” project will boost rice sufficiency, create employment, and engage over 72,000 registered farmers of Sierra Leone’s National Farmers Association.