President Julius Maada Bio visited agricultural sites in Moyamba District to showcase the role of private farmers, women-led agribusiness, and the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces (RSLAF) in the government’s Feed Salone initiative.
The visits, which included briefings and symbolic harvesting ceremonies, focused on three aspects of domestic food production: mechanised hybrid maize cultivation, irrigation-supported production of improved rice seed and large-scale rice farming by the military.
President Bio visited SLENC Limited, Sherilyn’s Enterprise for National Change, at Vaama Farm in Bai Largo, Moyamba District. The women-led company has expanded its maize production from a five-acre pilot to 120 hectares of mechanised hybrid maize.
The farm produces maize for poultry feed, contributing to domestic production and agricultural value chains. The company also employs more than 200 young people, according to information shared during the visit. It shows how private investment in agriculture can increase food production and create jobs.
President Bio also visited SMART Farms in Moyamba District, where an irrigation-supported project is producing large quantities of improved rice seed developed by the Sierra Leone Agricultural Research Institute (SLARI). The project links agricultural research to producing quality seed for farmers.
Irrigation makes rice production more dependable and supports year-round cultivation. The initiative shows how better seed varieties and water availability can help farmers increase yields and rely less on seasonal conditions.
The President participated in a symbolic harvest of rice grown by the RSLAF in Yoni, Kamajei Chiefdom. The Armed Forces planted rice on 4,227 hectares, and production is estimated at 59,900 bags of clean rice.
Under an off-taker agreement between the military and the Ministry of Finance, the rice will be used to meet the Armed Forces’ food requirements for six months. The arrangement ties agricultural production to the institution’s food needs and shows how public institutions can help secure the national food supply while supporting their own operations.
The military’s agricultural program includes rice and cashew farms in six locations. These include Makally, Mankana and Rumbeh in Port Loko District; Masang in Tonkolili District; and Yoni and Tormabum in Moyamba District. Yoni was cited as an example of the Armed Forces’ involvement in agriculture, and its role in national security was the scale of cultivation.
The President thanked farmers, entrepreneurs, and institutions that responded to his call to support Feed Salone during the visits. He said the engagements were meant to showcase successful agricultural initiatives and promote more investment in the sector, especially by young people and private sector operators.
The President praised the leadership of SLENC Limited, SMART Farms, and the RSLAF for showing how private enterprise, agricultural innovation, and institutional investment can contribute to domestic production. He also reiterated the Government’s commitment to support private sector participation in agriculture.
Bio emphasised the potential to connect commercial farms to out-growers and create more jobs for youth. Such links, he said, can help to spread the benefits of agricultural investment beyond individual farms and strengthen the wider value chain.
He also praised the military’s agricultural program, saying the Armed Forces could contribute to national development and food security even as it continued its primary duty of protecting the nation.
“We are here to honour our farmers and especially the Military for protecting and feeding our nation at the same time,” the President said.
The visits highlighted the diversity of approaches being promoted within the Feed Salone agenda. These include commercial farming, mechanisation, irrigation, improved seed varieties, and partnerships between farmers, research institutions, private companies, and public sector organisations.
Together, the initiatives show how investment in farming can help produce food, supply local industries like poultry feed, create jobs, and meet institutional demand. The military’s off-taker arrangement is one example of how to create a direct market for locally produced rice.
As Sierra Leone prepares to celebrate World Food Day, President Bio’s engagements highlighted the need for continued investment and cooperation in creating a more productive and resilient agricultural sector. The Government’s Feed Salone initiative aims to bring together farmers, entrepreneurs, research institutions and public bodies to increase domestic food production, strengthen agricultural value chains and reduce reliance on imported food.
