The Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, in partnership with Farm Input Promotions Africa (FIPS-Africa) based in Kenya, has distributed 1,000 five-week-old chicks to five districts across Sierra Leone under the Small Pack Initiative.

The initiative aims to strengthen access to agricultural inputs and basic livestock management skills for 1,200 smallholder farmers. The beneficiary districts are Bo, Kenema, Port Loko, Karene, and Moyamba.

Funded by FIPS-Africa and implemented through the Extension Division of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, the Small Pack Initiative supports rural communities under the Village-Based Advisors model. It is designed to improve food security, nutrition, and livelihoods among smallholder farmers while creating additional income opportunities, particularly for women and youth in rural areas.

The programme also reinforces the Government’s Feed Salone agenda by empowering smallholder farmers at the grassroots level through access to improved inputs, technical knowledge, and sustainable agricultural practices that contribute to food security, improved nutrition, and rural economic growth.

The handover of chicks to beneficiaries was conducted by Deputy Minister II, Mr. Sahr Hemore; Director of Extension, Mr. Alpha Yayah Mansaray; President of NAFFSL, Madam Yatta Sama; and other district stakeholders.