The Sierra Leone delegation, led by Honourable Dr. Henry Musa Kpaka, Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, and Madam Salima Monorma Bah, Minister of Communication, Technology and Innovation (MoCTI), visited the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) in Seattle, USA, to explore collaboration opportunities with BMGF and secure support for the Feed Salone strategy
Aim of the visit:
The delegation, including the Minister of MoCTI, Ms. Salima Bah who plays an integral part in the feed Salone project, held high-level meetings with various BMGF teams to discuss;
*Digital farmer services
*Seed systems, and
*Livestock priorities.
On day one, the delegation discussed Sierra Leone’s agri-food system, focusing on economic trends, development priorities, and seed quality. Dr. Kpaka outlined goals to boost productivity and reduce food imports, ending with plans for an Agriculture Transformation Office (ATO) in Sierra Leone.
Day two meetings covered support, financial inclusion, digital farming, livestock jobs, and climate-smart practices.
“By leveraging technologies such as farmer profiling, agronomy advisory services, and extension support through mobile applications, MoCTI plans to ensure that farmers have access to critical information and resources.”- Minister Salima Bah
This highlights the potential of digital technology as an integral part in driving the feed Salone project in Sierra Leone.
