𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐍𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐓𝐨 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐞 𝐋𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐏𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐫𝐲 𝐅 𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐔𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐅𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐒𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐞

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𝐁𝐲𝐒𝐚𝐡𝐫𝐋𝐚𝐡𝐚𝐢𝐉𝐮𝐬𝐮.

Poultry farming, like several other agricultural businesses that have great potential in terms of scale and profitability, is a wise decision. Not only is it a business that is vital to a healthy consumption structure in the world, but it is also a profitable business that creates jobs and increases the income levels of farmers. However, most poultry farms are closing down due to lack of support in obtaining complete poultry feeds and electricity. The launch of complete poultry feed production in Sierra Leone will help complete the value chain and will contribute positively to the government feed salon agenda.
As an economist, I was sponsored by the Eastern Farmers Agricultural and General Enterprises (EFAGE) in April this year to conduct a rapid assessment of the country’s poultry product needs. The farms surveyed included Lion Poultry, one of the largest poultry farms in Makeni, which has 22,000 laying hens and 16,000 chicks. The purpose of the visit was to gain a first-hand understanding of the operations, opportunities and challenges facing poultry farmers in Sierra Leone. A similar visit was also made to another farm in Waterloo, Fuad Poultry Farm, which has 8,500 laying hens and broiler chickens.
Furthermore, research conducted by the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (MAFS), the University of Makeni (UNIMAK), SBD and the St. Lawrence Foundation and the Pig and Poultry Farmers Association of Sierra Leone (PPASL) shows that local poultry farmers in Sierra Leone produce an average of 67 to 90 million eggs per year, with the remaining 65-70% imported. To meet the annual demand of the country’s estimated population of about 8.5 million, farmers should be able to produce 150 to 182 million eggs. However, out of more than 130 farmers, more than 70% produce their own feed, with few buying from other farmers or importing low-quality feed from neighboring countries. This is similar to assuming that every building contractor produces their own cement to build houses.
Art itself
The poultry industry faces two major constraints on production and expansion:
1. Feed is expensive: In the poultry production value chain, there should be dedicated corporate feed producers to sell feed to farmers. This would save the hassle of buying maize, concentrates, wheat bran, oyster shells and more importantly feed formulations. Unfortunately, there are few dedicated full-range feed production companies in Sierra Leone to meet the total demand.
2. The second constraint faced by local poultry farmers is the price curve for eggs and poultry meat. Locally produced eggs, though fresh and nutritious, are more expensive than imported eggs. Therefore, consumers, especially low-income consumers, look for cheaper eggs regardless of quality. The demand and sales of locally produced poultry products are always lower than the demand for imported products.
Art itself
Based on the above challenges, local poultry farmers put forward the following suggestions:
1. The government implements a policy similar to that of countries such as Senegal and Nigeria, namely: introducing a progressive quota system combined with a defensive tariff system on imported products. For example, restoring taxes and tariffs on imported rice while providing subsidies to local rice farmers will eventually form a balanced pricing system that will increase demand for locally produced rice and increase farmers’ incomes. Thus, increasing the tariff and quota system can achieve market equality, increase demand, and thus increase sales, thereby increasing the production of local eggs and poultry meat, and creating more jobs for women and youth.
2. About 70% of farmers and poultry farm workers in Sierra Leone are women and youths. Poultry farms have closed due to feed restrictions and market prices, leaving nearly 2,000 youths and women jobless. However, according to a study conducted by the University of Makeni, SBD and St. Lawrence Foundation on the theme “Poultry Industry in Sierra Leone Towards Self-Sufficiency”, it is expected that Sierra Leone can achieve zero egg imports by 2029 if feed input supplies, especially maize, are produced locally and appropriate quota and tariff systems are continuously implemented to protect local farmers. Maize and wheat bran can be sourced locally but most of them are imported from neighboring countries. Therefore, increasing subsidies to maize farmers with the support of extension services can reduce input costs for feed producers, thereby reducing the production cost of eggs and poultry meat. Government support for capacity building in poultry farm management, hygiene, feed formulation and application, and market sensitivity to product quality is also important for market growth.
3. Sierra Leone completely lacks insurance schemes that are vital for poultry farmers, which is essential for growth and income protection. Many other countries in Sub-Saharan Africa such as Ghana, Cameroon, Kenya and Uganda have strong insurance schemes in place for bird mortality and risk mitigation for essential infrastructure. In the context of Feed Salone, a key pillar for sustainable development of the poultry sector is the strong need to minimize income losses and incentivize investors to undertake large-scale poultry farming in Sierra Leone. With these, the goal of achieving zero egg imports by 2029 will be achieved under Feed Salone, the flagship programme of the Government of Sierra Leone.

Posts 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐍𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐓𝐨 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐞 𝐋𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐏𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐫𝐲 𝐅 𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐔𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐅𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐒𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐞 First appeared in Global Times.

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