The Bio Rice Project (BRP)
The Bio Rice Project (BRP). The BRP aims to curtail the lack of rice sufficiency and the dependency on importation in Sierra Leone. Although Sierra Leone generally has favorable climate conditions for rice production, over $200 million annually is still spent on importing rice and this narrative must change. With measures taken by our Founder’s current Administration, in addition to measures that will be implemented with the BRP, we hope to see more local production and a reduction in rice imports overtime.
Rice continues to be a staple in diets across the globe. Africa alone consumes 11.6 million tons of rice annually. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, total rice demand in 2018 was 1.8 million tons against the local production of 700,000 tons. Sierra Leone occupies 72,300 km2 of which 5.4 million ha are potentially cultivable. Annual per capita consumption of rice (104 kg) in Sierra Leone is amongst the highest in sub Saharan Africa. Currently Asia grows 90% of the world’s rice, with over 200 million rice farms, of which most are less than five acres and operated by small farmers.
