Sierra Leone has recorded encouraging progress in domestic rice production and food security, Vice President Dr Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh has said, citing improvements under the Government’s flagship Feed Salone programme.
Speaking at the Sixth Market for Agricultural Innovations and Technologies (MITA 2026) in Freetown on 19 October, the Vice President disclosed that rice self-sufficiency increased from 68 per cent in 2023 to 73 per cent in 2025, while severely food-insecure households declined from 28 per cent to 13 per cent over the same period.
“We have made encouraging progress,” he said, describing the figures as evidence of improvements in the country’s food production and security efforts.
Dr Juldeh Jalloh said Feed Salone remained central to the Government’s efforts to increase domestic food production, reduce dependence on imports, create jobs and strengthen agriculture’s contribution to economic growth.
He noted that the programme would continue with mechanisation and irrigation, improved seeds and inputs, market access, climate-smart agriculture and digitalisation. However, he cautioned that the gains must translate into tangible improvements in people’s lives.
“These are important developments. But they do not mean that our food-security challenges have been resolved,” he stated, adding that more work is needed to make nutritious food affordable and protect households from rising prices and disruptions in food supplies.
The Vice President also stressed that sustaining agricultural progress would require investment beyond the farm, including better infrastructure, accessible finance, agro-processing and stronger markets. He called for greater regional cooperation to help farmers and agricultural businesses access opportunities across national borders.
“Agriculture must be at the centre of that effort,” he said, emphasising the sector’s importance to regional integration, employment and economic resilience. He also welcomed MITA as a platform for promoting proven agricultural technologies and connecting researchers, farmers, businesses and investors to accelerate innovation and improve productivity across West and Central Africa.