According to the Chinese Ambassador Wu Peng, during President Dr Ernest Bai Koroma’s state visit to the People’s Republic of China last December, the Chinese Government reached a benevolent decision to provide 6300 tons of rice, which costs 50 Million RMB as assistance to Sierra Leone.

He said the first batch of 2750 tons which took almost two months on the high seas, has finally arrived on the shores of Freetown. The second and third batches of consignment, he said, are due in November 2017 and January 2018 respectively.

Ambassador Peng disclosed China’s determination to work close with Sierra Leone to find long-term solutions to achieving food self-sufficiency by developing the agricultural sector to enhance the country’s capacity to produce more food items. Besides the agricultural sector development desire, Ambassador Peng also assured of China’s readiness to promote other bilateral cooperation in Sierra Leone to support President Koroma’s Agenda for Prosperity.

Receiving the donation on behalf of the Government and people of Sierra Leone, President Koroma thanked President Xi Jinping of the People’s Republic of China for fulfilling his promise. He described the assistance as a great gesture, and assured that government would judiciously use the rice for the benefit of all Sierra Leoneans.

The president expressed the need for Sierra Leone to be food self-sufficient and therefore called for diversification in agriculture which he implored China for close collaboration.