On Thursday 19 2026, the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Dr. Henry Musa Kpaka, inspected 40 newly procured tractors at the Ministry’s Engineering Facility in Kissy, Freetown, ahead of the 2026 planting season.
The Minister was accompanied by the Chief of Defence Staff, Lieutenant General Amara Adara Bangura, and his engineering team. The visit forms part of the ongoing Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Ministry and the Sierra Leone Armed Forces to support the repair and maintenance of agricultural machinery and ensure full operational readiness nationwide.
Speaking during the inspection, Dr. Kpaka disclosed that the tractors will be distributed across districts to boost mechanized farming. He emphasized that the collaboration with the Sierra Leone Armed Forces will strengthen maintenance systems and extend the lifespan of equipment deployed to farming communities across the country.
Lieutenant General Bangura reaffirmed the military’s commitment to supporting national food production. He stated that the Armed Forces are prepared to cultivate up to 10,000 hectares of rice this year to enhance food security. He further noted that the military is currently retrieving idle and broken-down machines from various districts for repairs, as part of efforts to restore and optimize the country’s agricultural machinery fleet.
