His Excellency President Julius Maada Bio of Sierra Leone recently met with senior officials from the United States government to discuss collaboration in agriculture and food security. The meeting took place in Iowa, where Alexis Taylor, Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs, welcomed President Bio. Taylor emphasized potential collaborative efforts between the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Government of Sierra Leone.
Taylor expressed her commitment to supporting women in agriculture by improving their access to land, financing, and technology. She also addressed climate change issues and discussed initiatives such as climate-smart rice cultivation.
Dr. Manjit Misra, Director of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, introduced the NextGen programme aimed at nurturing a new generation of professionals in food and agriculture. He noted that this programme could represent a partnership opportunity with Sierra Leone.
Dr. Akinwumi A. Adesina, President of the African Development Bank Group, praised President Bio for his leadership and macroeconomic reforms in Sierra Leone. He encouraged U.S. officials to support Sierra Leone's goal of achieving food security.
President Bio thanked the delegation for their support of the Feed Salone initiative and shared updates on its progress since last year. He discussed investment opportunities and stressed the importance of a partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
He also highlighted legal reforms to increase women's representation in governance and improve their access to land and financing in agriculture. Additionally, he welcomed the NextGen programme as a way to empower youth in Sierra Leone's food and agriculture sectors.
Following these discussions, President Bio held a roundtable with agricultural leaders to seek support for developing the Sierra Leone Special Rice Agro-Processing Zone.
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