President Dr Julius Maada Bio on Friday visited the Torma Bum Rice Farm in Bonthe District, using the occasion to call on private investors and local entrepreneurs to join government efforts under the Feed Salone Initiative to make Sierra Leone food-secure. The visit entailed inspections of active rice plots, irrigation works and other infrastructure projects aimed at scaling commercial production in the region.
The president was shown rice farming activities on the site being carried out by Fambul Rice and personnel of the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces (RSLAF), each currently farming 1.5 hectares. He also inspected the construction of irrigation canals and related infrastructure being carried out by PaviFort Construction Company, projects aimed at expanding the farm’s productive capacity and improving water management.
President Bio reaffirmed his government’s commitment to ensuring the country produces enough food to feed itself. “We have to be able to grow what we eat,” he said, calling for more investment in agriculture from the private sector. He praised Fambul Rice for already meeting the demands of the market and commended the company’s progress at Torma Bum. “Sierra Leone has vast land, abundant water resources and a favourable climate that position the country to become a major agricultural producer if public and private actors work together,” said the President.
The Head of State also commended the RSLAF for their involvement in the Feed Salone Initiative through pragmatic rice farming and challenged the Sierra Leone Police to emulate the initiatives by exploring agricultural ventures to improve national output and provide constructive engagement for the uniformed services.
President Bio announced government plans to build the Koribondo–Torma Bum road to alleviate logistical constraints and lower investment risk in the area. Connectivity improvements are expected to improve access to the farm, improve transport of produce to markets and attract additional private-sector investment.
At the farm, the President called on Fambul Rice to provide technical assistance to would-be rice farmers to help them scale up commercial rice production in the region. Such partnerships were essential, he said, to building a sustainable agricultural economy that creates jobs and supports broader economic transformation.
Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Dr Henry Musa Kpaka, updated the President on the investments and ongoing developments at Torma Bum and thanked the President for his leadership and continued focus on elevating agriculture as a key economic driver. The Paramount Chief of Bum Chiefdom, PC Alex Maada Kainpumu, welcomed the revival of the farm after more than four decades of neglect and praised the Minister’s frequent visits as a sign of government commitment to the Feed Salone objectives.
The visit of the President ended on a renewed note of optimism among government officials, traditional leaders and private partners who promised to strengthen collaboration and increase investment in agriculture to support the vision of President Bio for food self-sufficiency, job creation and sustainable economic transformation under the Feed Salone Initiative.
