By Claudia Redwood-Sawyerr
The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Dr Henry Musa Kpaka has hailed Bombali District for its immense contribution to President Julius Maada Bio’s flagship Feed Salone initiative.
Minister Kpaka was speaking during the Civic Day Series held at the University of Makeni campus on Tuesday 16th September 2025.
“When President Bio declared Feed Salone, he wanted to ensure we are food self-sufficient. Without food self-sufficiency, we are not independent as people,” he said.
The Minister highlighted the massive contribution Bombali has been making to the Feed Salone project.
“Bombali, you have to be proud of yourself. Makeni has the only premier rice milling facility in the country. Bombali has the only commercial hatchery in the country. Bombali is also the second highest producer of eggs in Sierra Leone,” Minister Musa Kpaka informed.
He added: “In the past two years the district has produced more than 5000 hectares of rice. The district is also producing at least 5000 eggs per day, with cheaper prices compared to other areas in the country.”
Dr Henry Musa Kpaka said these achievements have been influenced by the government’s policy of backing farmers and creating a space for the private sector to come in and invest.
He said the government has worked to produce flexible credit line up to $10 million for farmers and agri-prenuers to access and invest with very low interest rate.
He explained that farmers in Bombali have seized the opportunity to access these loans and are now producing enough to sell to the World Food Program for the school feeding across the country.
Dr Kpaka also outlined some of the challenges faced by the sector and promised more support for farmers and business people in the agricultural sector.
