Kobia, 28th August 2026- The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Dr. Henry Musa Kpaka, has announced an agreement aimed at strengthening Sierra Leone’s domestic food system by linking farmers directly to institutional buyers.
Speaking in Kobia, Dr. Kpaka revealed that his ministry has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces (RSLAF) to institutionalize the purchase of locally produced rice from the Strategic Rice Reserve.
“As a first step, the military has purchased 9,000 fifty‑kilogram bags of rice at a competitive price,” Dr. Kpaka said. “This means three things: farmers get a market, our rice reserves are rotated, and the military imports less rice.”
The Minister emphasized that the initiative is designed to keep value within Sierra Leone’s economy. “That is how we build a stronger domestic food system, produce more, buy local, and keep value in Sierra Leone,” he added.
Dr. Kpaka expressed gratitude to development partners for their role in supporting the program. “Thanks to our partners, including the World Bank for financial support to co‑invest alongside government, the FSRP team, and SLPMC for the logistics and aggregation support,” he noted.
The move is expected to boost farmer incomes, reduce reliance on imported rice, and ensure that Sierra Leone’s Strategic Rice Reserve remains active and sustainable.
