On Thursday, November 6, 2025, the Country Director and Representative of the World Food Programme (WFP) in Sierra Leone, Andrew Odero, paid a courtesy visit to Rural Farmers Radio 98.9 FM in Kenema.

The visit marked an important moment of engagement between WFP and Rural Farmers Radio, offering both institutions the opportunity to explore strategic areas of partnership and collaboration. Discussions focused on their shared commitment to food security, rural development, and strengthening community resilience across Sierra Leone.

Strengthening Partnerships for Food Security

During the visit, Mr. Odero commended Rural Farmers Radio for its innovative role in amplifying the voices of rural farmers and delivering critical agricultural information to communities that are often underserved. He emphasized the importance of communication platforms in supporting sustainable food systems, particularly in rural and agricultural settings.

Both parties underscored the value of collaboration in ensuring that farmers, traders and rural households have access to accurate, timely and practical information that supports informed decision-making and improved livelihoods.

Launch of the ‘Agric Pricelist’ Programme

A major highlight of the visit was the official launch of the inaugural edition of the “Agric Pricelist” programme on Rural Farmers Radio 98.9 FM.

The Agric Pricelist initiative is designed to provide regular, up-to-date market information on agricultural commodities, including prevailing prices and trends. By sharing this critical data through radio broadcasts, the programme aims to empower:

• Smallholder farmers
• Produce traders
• Aggregators and processors
• Other agricultural value-chain stakeholders

With reliable price information, farmers and traders are better positioned to negotiate fair prices, plan production and marketing strategies, and reduce post-harvest losses.

Enhancing Communication for Development

The launch of the Agric Pricelist programme represents a significant step forward in communication for development, reinforcing the role of community radio as a catalyst for economic empowerment and inclusive growth.

For WFP, the collaboration aligns with its broader mandate to support food security, nutrition and resilience-building initiatives, while for Rural Farmers Radio, it strengthens its mission to serve as a trusted source of agricultural knowledge and market intelligence for rural communities.

A Shared Commitment to Rural Livelihoods

The visit reaffirmed the joint commitment of WFP and Rural Farmers Radio 98.9 FM to improving the livelihoods of rural communities throughout Sierra Leone. Through partnerships that combine global development expertise with local communication platforms, both institutions aim to ensure that farmers are informed, resilient and better equipped to contribute to national food security goals.

As Rural Farmers Radio continues to expand its programming and outreach, collaborations such as this highlight the growing recognition of information access as a critical driver of agricultural transformation.