The Sierra Leone Rice Agro-Industrial Cluster (SL RAIC) Project has successfully concluded a five-day intensive training for 120 farmers drawn from Bonthe and Pujehun Districts. The training, held in Mattru Jong from July 7th to 11th, focused on building the capacity of smallholder farmers and key implementing partners in areas critical to improving agricultural productivity and resilience.
Funded by the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the Government of Sierra Leone through the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, the training covered Good Agricultural Practices (GAP), Climate-Smart Agriculture, Basic Entrepreneurship, Gender Equality, and Environmental and Social Safeguards.
The initiative is part of the SL RAIC Project’s broader objective to increase rice production, strengthen farmer capacities, and promote inclusive and sustainable agricultural transformation in the country.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, District Agriculture Officer for Bonthe, Mr. Foday Sheriff welcomed participants and thanked the project team for organizing the training in Mattru Jong. He emphasized the importance of transferring knowledge to the field, urging participants to implement what they had learned to improve productivity and food security.
Project Manager, Mr. John Maada Sinah praised the commitment of farmers, stating that the training was designed not just to impart technical know-how, but also to prepare farmers to approach agriculture as a viable and profitable business. “This is part of our commitment to building resilience and ensuring food security in line with the government’s Feed Salone initiative,” he said.
The training sessions were delivered by a team of experts from the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security,the SL RAIC Project team ,including an Extension Agronomist, Agribusiness Officer, Gender Specialist, Environmental and Social Safeguards Officer, and other technical staff. Topics ranged from improved land preparation and planting techniques to sustainable water use, safe pesticide handling, and market access strategies.
One participant from Pujehun, Fatmata Conteh, expressed appreciation for the opportunity, describing the sessions as “practical, timely, and empowering.” she added, “We now understand how to grow rice more and grow smart.”
Throughout the week, the sessions combined classroom learning with group discussions and practical field demonstrations to ensure deeper understanding and knowledge retention.
As part of its next steps, the SL RAIC Project will continue working with trained farmers through monitoring visits and extension support, with plans to scale similar training exercises with the other farmers.
The SL RAIC Project remains a MAFS flagship investment aimed at transforming Sierra Leone’s rice sector into a driver of rural development, food security, and inclusive economic growth.
