The Agreement will see the production of Fifty Four Thousand Hectares of rice at Torma Bum in the Pujehun district.
The timely move will see the end of rice importation in Sierra Leone once harvesting starts.
It can be recalled that currently, Sierra Leone is spending more than $200,000,000 on rice importation yearly.
Over time, Sierra Leone as a country has been fighting towards rice self sufficiency. This project according to the ministry, will help the country to achieve its strive towards making the country self-sufficient.
Minister of Agriculture Forestry and Food Security, Joseph Ndanema said this Agreement will help reduce the importation of rice and save government’s money used for rice importation yearly.
Representing Cagla Group, Chairman, Cemal Dogan said they will add value to the project in order for Sierra Leone to achieve its rice self-sufficient initiative, alluding to the fact that they are aware of the importance of the project to the country. He applauded the country for taking such a giant step, while reaffirming their commitment in adding value to the project.
President Bio’s SLPP government has been defined as a policy oriented government and it is strictly sticking by its policies and programs that it outlined immediately after winning the general elections and taking over Sierra Leone’s state institutions.
They had established short and long term visions and by all indications they seem to be gradually implementing their policies to the letter for the people of Sierra Leone.
As a way of identifying and fixing the long term economic issues the country had faced, President Bio unveiled a vision of diversifying the economy by incorporating sectors like agriculture, education, fisheries and tourism among other areas.
By the numbers locally observed and internationally generated, President Bio has made a great leap forward in all four areas by establishing the foundation for further growth and economic transformation.
And this is one of the things that have fascinated the international community thereby reciprocating by becoming financial and implementing partners with the government to actualize most of what President Bio has visioned.
Priortized among these four of his economic diversification projects, are the sectors of education and agriculture. As the world has seen in the education sector, it now in full operation and implementation in phases.
Now, President Bio has finally turned his attention on agriculture and accelerating the implementation of most of its formulated policies. After months of deliberation, the Turkish food producing giant has finally taken up the rice project and has already signed the contract to start cultivation and production.
The rice project has come with a lot of components. The investors have looked at different rice breeds and have narrowed down on the breed that may have a quick return, it will be mechanized farming with heavy duty tillers, it first phase will employ nearly 2 thousand Sierra Leoneans.
The aim is to make sure the people of Sierra Leone are well fed once the project starts. Several models have been examined for its overall implementation. It may adopt the possibility of exportation added to our GDP base.
Like the ministry of education, the military of agriculture is in the process of developing a system they call rice distribution template at district and regional levels.
