Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation recently hosted Sierra Leone’s Ambassador to the United States Sidique Wai, Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce Commissioner Andy Gipson and Mississippi Development Authority Senior International Trade Manager Vicki Watters Martin, along with staff from numerous other agricultural and development organizations in Mississippi, for a round table discussion.
The discussion allowed Wai to share what investments in business and human capital development Sierra Leone would like to make in Mississippi. The country’s interests revolve around agriculture, specifically rice and poultry, scientific research, ship building, and manufacturing.
“Mississippi and Sierra Leone are similar in what they can produce,” Wai said. “We would like to work together.”
The round table discussion allowed the different groups to brainstorm ideas on how Sierra Leone and Mississippi can work together in the future in many different capacities.
“I believe the meeting was productive,” MFBF President Mike McCormick said. “This round table allowed all of the right people to be in the same room to open up another door to help Mississippi’s agriculture industry prosper. We look forward to working with the delegation from Sierra Leone in the future.”
President of the Republic of Sierra Leone Julius Maada Bio will travel to Mississippi at the beginning of October.
