Vietnam will extend its support to develop the rice value chain in Sierra Leone through a South-South and Triangular Cooperation (SSTC) agreement with the collaboration of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

Representatives of Vietnam, Sierra Leone, and FAO at a ceremony for a tripartite agreement in February 2023. Photo: QT

Under the tripartite agreement signed last week, the project which costs US$5 million aims to increase production and productivity through improved technologies and best practices with the assistance of Vietnam.

The project will be implemented through a Unilateral Trust Fund (UTF) from Sierra Leone.

The agreement was signed by Abu Bakarr Karim, Minister for Agriculture, Forestry and Food Security of Sierra Leone, and Saeed Abubakar Bancie, FAO Representative in Sierra Leone.

Minister Abu Bakarr Karim commended Vietnam for its commitment to providing technical assistance through FAO South-South Cooperation, emphasizing the invaluable role it will play in Sierra Leone's agricultural landscape.

The project will support diverse actors to increase the productivity and production of rice through increased access to improved technologies and upscaling of best practices along the rice value chain.

Over the course of a four-year project, Vietnam will provide its expertise in rice-value-chain development to Sierra Leone.

Skilled experts and technicians specialized in rice production, irrigation, rice breeding, mechanization, and post-harvest management will be deployed to various national sites, including research stations. Additionally, capacity-building initiatives such as study tours, field training, and training of trainers will be implemented to empower local stakeholders.

This new tripartite agreement is part of FAO’s strong commitment to broaden its partnership base with diverse groups of countries through South-South and Triangular Cooperation and mobilization. The countries in the Global South are increasingly recognizing SSTC as one of the most efficient delivery modalities addressing their needs.

Vietnam experts in Sierra Leone in February 2023. Photo: FAO

Vietnam – Sierra Leone cooperation in rice industry

In a related move, a delegation of Vietnamese experts visited Sierra Leone in mid-February 2023, as part of a South-South Cooperation (SSC) project. The joint mission, organized within the framework of the South-South and Triangular Cooperation between FAO, Sierra Leone, and Vietnam, aimed at formulating a proposal for a cooperation program to address Sierra Leone's rice value chain needs.

During the visit, the experts highlighted the need for expertise in rice value chain development, including rice production, irrigation, rice breeding, mechanization, post-harvest management, and capacity building through study tours, field training, and training of trainers.

Notably, President of the Republic of Sierra Leone Julius Maada Bio during his official visit to Vietnam in mid-March 2023 visited the rice factory of An Giang Import - Export Joint Stock Company (Angimex), a member of Louis Holdings Group - the leading enterprise in the field of agricultural food production & trading business in Vietnam.

On this occasion, the two sides inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on a rice export contract to the West African country. Under this, Angimex will export 3 million tons of rice to Sierra Leone under a three-year rice export contract.

South-South and Triangular Cooperation

Since 1996, FAO has been working at central and decentralized levels to promote SSTC amongst its Member States as a means to reduce poverty and hunger, while promoting sustainable agrifood systems.

FAO's South-South Cooperation endeavors to facilitate the exchange and transfer of agricultural knowledge and expertise among developing countries.

With regards to the development of the rice sector in African countries in particular, FAO has supported, through SSC, major rice-producing countries such as Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania and Uganda to address the challenges facing their rice value chains.

Through country-level capacity-building, regional knowledge exchange events and study tours, FAO has extensively facilitated the sharing of good practices, lessons learned and the dissemination of analysis on rice value chains.