Agriculture Minister Commissions First Large- Scale Poultry Feed Plant in Sierra Leone

Sierra Leone’s Minister for Agriculture and Food Security, Dr. Henry Musa Kpaka has commissioned Sierra Leone’s First large Poultry Feed Plant based in Waterloo.

The plant, which was produced by Eastern Farmers Agric and General Enterprise (EFAGE) in collaboration with Trouw Nutrition of Nutreco, a Netherlands-based corporation, is a step toward the country’s efforts to strengthen its chicken sector.

The ceremony, held on March 12, 2025, was recognized as a great step in the Feed Salone program, which aims to lessen Sierra Leone’s reliance on imported food while increasing local agricultural production. EFAGE’s devotion as a private-sector actor was shown by its partnership with Hendrix, an international leader in animal nutrition.

Sahr L. Jusu, EFAGE’s Executive Chairman, discussed the relevance of the breakthrough, saying that the cooperation began with the importing of concentrates and progressed into the formation of the commercial feed mill. He provided lessons from EFAGE’s previous endeavors, which included a seminar in April 2024 for 50 poultry producers, followed by a poll of 54 farmers in the Western Area.

According to the poll, 65% of farmers produce their feed using local ingredients, with many saying that feed prices account for 75-80% of their operating expenses.

The survey is said to have also showed a great desire among farmers to pay for cheap homemade feed, with 91% expressing interest in acquiring such goods provided they were competitively priced. These data demonstrate the demand for locally produced, high-quality poultry feed in Sierra Leone.

Remio De Waal, representing Hendrix, expressed his company’s commitment to providing EFAGE with experience and technology to assure the manufacture of high-quality chicken feed in Sierra Leone. Hendrix’s collaboration is expected to introduce cutting-edge technology into local feed manufacturing.

The President of the Pig and Poultry Farmers Association praised the sector’s success, emphasizing that feed costs remain the most significant expense for poultry farmers. He stated that six years ago, Sierra Leone generated only 20% of its poultry eggs, which has since increased to more than 60%.

Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Dr. Henry Musa Kpaka, praised the feed mill’s commissioning, underlining how it aligns with the Feed Salone program’s goals. He stated that the plant, which has the capability to manufacture 250,000 bags of feed yearly, tackles one of the poultry industry’s most pressing issues: the availability and affordability of quality feed.

The launch of the Poultry feed mill is said to provide considerable support to Sierra Leone’s expanding poultry sector, assuring a steady supply of affordable, high-quality feed while also contributing to the country’s overall agricultural and economic development goals.