Sierra Leone has taken an important step towards strengthening national food security by storing more than 10,000 bags of locally produced rice in the strategic cereal reserve in Kobia, Kambia District. This important step, funded by the World Bank-supported West Africa Food System Resilience Programme (FSRP), is a key component of Pillar 3 of the Feed Salone programme: aggregation, processing and market linkages. It represents a sustainable mechanism for responding to food crises while strengthening the rice value chain.
The Minister of Agriculture, Mr Henry Musa Kpaka, visited the facility, which currently holds 10,000 bags, with an initial stock of 1,200 tonnes of rice purchased and processed by the Sierra Leone Produce Marketing Company and the World Food Programme (WFP). The Minister highlighted that this initiative has not only created secure markets for farmers but has also helped to reduce illicit rice exports at Kambia border points, thereby stimulating private sector participation in the Feed Salone programme.
The strategic cereal reserve is designed to serve as a buffer stock, ensuring food availability in the event of emergencies, price fluctuations and supply shortages, while protecting vulnerable populations from food crises triggered by natural disasters, market failures or geopolitical instability.
Soon, as part of the Feed Salone initiative, the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (MAFS) through the FSRP will establish an integrated silo system with a capacity of 4,000 tonnes in Gbondapi, Pujehun District. This modern facility will serve as a rice processing and storage centre, laying the foundation for the creation of a food reserve authority. According to the minister, this authority is currently being established and will be responsible for managing the initiative, developing sustainable financing mechanisms and ensuring effective crisis management.
This important step enables Sierra Leone not only to meet international food security standards, but also to contribute significantly to the functioning of the ECOWAS Regional Food Security Reserve.
