The Regional Rice Value Chain (RRVCP) in the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (MAFS) has on Tuesday, 21 February, 2023, launched the meeting of the First National Regional Working Group for the formation of the National Chapter of ECOWAS Rice Observatory in the country.

The all-important launch was held at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Freetown.

The Economic Community Organisation for West African States (ECOWAS) Rice Observatory (ERO) is a multi-stakeholder forum, required to catalyse the development of the West African rice sector. It was founded in 2021 by the ECOWAS Commission and partners for value chain actors to work together in the ECOWAS Member States.

In his keynote remarks at the event, the Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Sahr Hemore, said that the rice sector development is part of the National Agricultural modification programme of the Ministry, and the ECOWAS Rice Observatory National Chapter would add value to the development of the rice sector and enhance food self-sufficiency in the sub-region.

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He stated that the ECOWAS Rice Observatory National Chapter would help develop synergies for the various rice value-chain actors that have been working independently, to cooperate effectively and to map out methods on how to improve the food self-sufficiency dream in Sierra Leone.

The German International Zone (GIZ) Country Director for Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia, Christian Widmann,  expressed that the launching offers the opportunity for Sierra Leone to share experiences, develop a common vision, and forge ahead to build a national chapter of ERO.

“If all stakeholder in the country works together to stem import and drive a robust domestic production and processing of rice, it will be of great benefit for Sierra Leone and its people,” he added.
Widmann added that GIZ is funding the establishment of a national chapter of the ECOWAS Rice Observatory (ERO) to offer voice and space, to drive competitiveness and guarantee sustainability in the rice sector in West Africa.

The Secretary General of ECOWAS Rice observatory (ERO) at the ECOWAS Commission, Dr Boladele Adebowale in an interview via Zoom, stated that there is an improvement in the sector and increased productivity, however, there are shortfalls with domestic production capacity meeting only 62% of the region’s needs though there are several efforts been made by regional bodies and national governments to develop the sector.
She continued that, the objective of national chapters of the ECOWAS Rice Observatory (ERO) is to financially help develop key actors in the West African rice sector.

According to the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Andrew Sorie, who doubles as the Chairperson of the opening ceremony, rice is an international food not just an economic and political commodity, establishing the national chapter of the ECOWAS Rice Observatory in the country would improve on the coordination of the rice sector in Sierra Leone.

The Project Coordinator of the Regional Rice Value Chain in the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Mr. Abdulai Bun Wai, said, the meeting was significant in enhancing the sustainable development of the country’s rice sector, and the ECOWAS Rice Observatory national chapter would help to support the development of the agricultural national rice development strategy.

“We eat three bags per person per year, and the population is growing and unfortunately we only produced 40% of the national requirement of the 1.5 metric tons the country needs for the year. (https://www.leankitchenco.com/) The expensive importation of rice in a small country like ours; given the challenging economy, spending over 200 million annually on the importation of rice is huge and those funds can be used for other social services like roads, education and health and so on,” he expressed.