By Amin Kef Sesay
Professor David John Francis, Chief Minister, has embarked on agriculture productivity in line with President Julius Maada Bio’s ambitious priority for sustainable food self-sufficiency in the country. This transformative drive has turned him to farmer.
The Chief Minister visited his farm recently to start the new rice harvest of the 3-months rapid yield hybrid nutritious variety that is now available in the market for the affordable price of Le200,000 for 50kg.
ECO Rice is now the cheapest, affordable high-quality and nutritious rice in the country.
Addressing local harvesters as well as other dignitaries at the farm site, Professor David Francis appealed to farmers to embark on agricultural production with all seriousness, stating that Government is ready to support them in making sure rice is affordable to all Sierra Leoneans and to eventually reduce the burden on Government to import rice at a huge foreign exchange cost.
The Chief Minister also informed that because of the massive rice plantation, the harvest on the farm will continue until February 2020.
In August last month, the Chief Minister officially launched the sales of the first batch of his ECO Rice product at the lowest price of Le200,000 for any 50kgs bag. ECO rice Company has also created hundreds of jobs for the local people, youth, women and farmers in Kenema & Small Bo Blama Chiefdom.
Professor Francis explained that ECO rice stores will be opened in all District Headquarter Towns, starting with Bo and Kenema which will be the national headquarters of the ECO Rice Production Company.
“This is what the New Direction is all about, where credible and sincere politicians like the Chief Minister who are promoting rice self-sufficiency and food security in Sierra Leone,” said one of the community stakeholders, adding that, “if only other politicians can follow the shining example of the Chief Minister, then President Bio’s vision of food security in Sierra Leone will be achieved.”
this rice project is very good for sierra leone to become more and more independent from imported rice.
but i have a question:
the chief minister david john francis is the owner of these 444 acres of farmland? what did he pay
for this big piece of land?