The Chief Minister of Sierra Leone, Professor David J Francis has gone into rice farming and his first harvests of rice produce is expected to hit markets across the country very soon.
Sierraloaded learnt that the Chief Minister’s sojourn into Agriculture comes in wake of President Maada Bio’s call for Ministers and political calss to engage in farming as a means to boost the nation’s Gross Domestic Product and reduce the incidence of importation.
“The Chief Minister is aware of the President’s call for us to engage in Agriculture in ensuring sufficient food production in Sierra Leone, that is why he engaged in hundreds of hectares of rice farming in Bo Chiefdom, Kenema District.”
“The harvest has been done and the rice has been packaged as ECO RICE, it is set to hit the market soon”, a spokesman told Sierraloaded.
Meanwhile, a social commentator, Mohammed Kabba has commended the Chief Minister’s latest adventure, describing it as a boost for the diversification of the Sierra Leonean economy.
Kanna noted that action of the Chief Minister will encourage other elites to engage in Agriculture thereby boosting food sufficiency in the countey.
“Sierra Leone must be able to produce what it consumes and consume what it produces. Importations does not help the economy. Agriculture is the way to go”, Kabba said.