President Julius Maada Bio today reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to accelerating agricultural transformation in Sierra Leone by officially releasing 30 new seed varieties developed by the Sierra Leone Agricultural Research Institute (SLARI) and inaugurating a modern National Seed Testing Laboratory at Mile 91. Both events, held on the same day, are key components of the government’s Feed Salone strategy, a flagship program aimed at transitioning the country from reliance on imported food to self-sufficiency and food production.
At a ceremony held at the Rokupr Agricultural Research Centre in Kambia District, which President Bio described as the “home of agricultural research” since its inception in 1934, he emphasized the center’s long history of scientific contributions to rice breeding and agricultural development throughout West Africa. Rokupr, he reminded attendees, has for nine decades been the birthplace of innovations such as the ROK rice lines, NERICA introductions, and numerous advanced hybrids that have helped revolutionize rice production in the subregion.
“Rokupr has always been a beacon of agricultural science in Sierra Leone,” President Bio said, adding that the station’s work remains critical to national efforts to develop climate-resilient, high-yielding varieties of key crops. He praised SLARI’s research on rice, cassava, maize, yam, and groundnut varieties, as well as advances in pest management, soil fertility, and sustainable land use practices.
The 30 varieties released by the President have been certified by the National Seed Certification Committee as high-performing and appropriate for local conditions. The package includes thirteen rice candidates, nine cassava varieties, and eight maize candidates. According to the President and SLARI leadership, these lines were chosen because of their adaptability to Sierra Leone’s agro-ecological zones and their ability to withstand climate pressures while increasing farmer productivity.
“I expect government agencies, seed producers, and the private sector to work with SLARI so that these varieties are rapidly multiplied and distributed nationwide,” President Bio urged, calling for a rapid scale-up of seed multiplication and dissemination so farmers can have access to improved planting materials in time for the coming seasons.
The President reiterated this call, saying certified, climate-resilient seeds are critical to making farming profitable and ensuring consistent harvests. “No crop, no yield, and no harvest can survive shaky seed systems,” he said, adding that the new laboratory is a practical component of the Feed Salone agenda.
The inauguration of the National Seed Testing Laboratory at Mile 91, which will be presided over by President Bio later in the day, is a significant step forward in Sierra Leone’s efforts to strengthen its domestic seed systems. The facility will allow for local seed testing, certification, and quality control, eliminating the need for external testing and streamlining seed certification. The laboratory is equipped to support routine seed quality assessments and is intended to serve as the foundation for a credible seed certification framework on which farmers, traders, and extension agents can rely.
President Bio praised the Sierra Leone Seed Certification Agency (SLeSCA) for overseeing the facility’s construction, training seed inspectors, and implementing cutting-edge seed-tracking technology across the country. He also congratulated Dr. Chakanda, Executive Director of SLeSCA, on his election as President of the Regional Seed and Planting Material Committee of West Africa, the first Sierra Leonean to hold that regional position, which he described as evidence of growing Sierra Leonean leadership in agricultural governance.
Dr Henry Musa Kpaka, Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, praised the President’s leadership in rebuilding the country’s agricultural research infrastructure, which had been destroyed during the civil war. He cited the passage of the SLARI Act in 2023 as a watershed moment that reenergized the institute and boosted agricultural scientists’ morale. “SLARI remains pivotal to the government’s Feed Salone flagship programme,” Dr. Kpaka said, noting that 12 SLARI researchers are currently pursuing PhD programs and that Sierra Leone has not imported any seeds in the last two years, which he described as a testament to the effectiveness of SLARI and SLeSCA. Dr. Abdulrahman Conteh, Director General of SLARI, described the twin events as a “historic turning point” in the country’s agricultural research. He described SLARI’s national network of six research stations, which specialise in tuber crops, rice, forestry and tree crops, livestock, soil and water management, and horticulture. The Director General emphasised that these stations use value chain approaches to ensure that research results translate into tangible benefits for farmers, processors, and markets.
Development partners were acknowledged for their ongoing technical and financial assistance. President Bio thanked the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), CORAF, AGRA, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), IITA, and the World Bank’s Food Systems Resilience Programme for supporting Sierra Leone’s agricultural transformation efforts.
While celebrating new scientific advances, the President cautioned that the laboratory and released varieties are only the beginning, not the end. He advocated for coordinated investment in seed supply chains, certification systems, and market structures to ensure that scientific breakthroughs reach smallholder farmers and drive national food production.
President Bio concluded the day’s events by reiterating the Feed Salone imperative: Sierra Leone cannot continue to rely on imported food and seed if it wants food security and economic resilience. He urged farmers, researchers, seed entrepreneurs, and private sector actors to collaborate with integrity and innovation to keep the momentum going, before officially opening the National Seed Testing Laboratory at Mile 91.
