The commissioning of the feed mill plant in Waterloo by Eastern Farmers Agric and General Enterprise, in collaboration with their partners Trouw Nutrition of Nutreco from the Netherlands, is considered a novelty in the poultry industry in Sierra Leone.

This unveiling event, which happened on Wednesday, 12th March 2025, reflects EFAGE’s commitment as a private-sector player in supporting Government’s Feed Salone programme.

The Executive Chairman of EFAGE-SL, Sahr L. Jusu, spoke at the event, saying their first import  triggered a discussion about the need for a full partnership to establish a commercial feed mill and serving as Hendrix’s representative in Sierra Leone.

He added that on April 2024, they conducted their first seminar targeting 50 poultry farmers on introducing Hendrix Concentrates into Sierra Leone’s market, followed by a survey of 54 farmers in the western area, assessing the demand and the willingness to pay for feeds produced locally in Sierra Leone.

This survey, he said, shows that 65% of those surveyed were self-producing feeds using local mixing with shovels, followed by hammer mills (20%) with appropriate technologies used and (15%). 91% expressed willingness to pay, but that depends if the feed is affordable.

Sahr Lahai Jusu also noted that the survey shows that average productivity was about 75-80% and that feed accounts for 75-80% of the management cost of poultry farms.

The Executive Chairman informed his audience that the EFAGE poultry mill plant started production in November 2024 and has produced 3,171 bags of complete feed for day-old chicks, Grower Rearing 1, Grower Rearing 2, Pre-layer Feed, Layer Phase 1 and Layer Phase 2, and Broiler Feed.

Remio De Waal, a representative from Hendrix, a feed company in the Netherlands, also expressed their commitment to collaborating with Eastern Farmers Agric Enterprise using their expertise and technology to produce high-quality feed in Sierra Leone.

The president of the Pig and Poultry Farmers Association said that the poultry Sector is growing, and 80% of their expenses go to feed, noting that six years ago Sierra Leone was producing 20% of poultry eggs but which has increased to over 60% according to a survey done.

“As an organisation, we are raising awareness campaigns that Sierra Leoneans should focus on our local products and their eat what we produce,” he added, He encouraged Sierra Leoneans to support their local products, while thanking  the Executive Chairman of EFAGE and their partners for their interventions in addressing one of the biggest challenges in the poultry industry.

The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Dr Henry Musa Kpaka, said one of the pillars of the Feed Salone flagship program is to reduce the importation of food but instead to be produced in Sierra Leone.

The Minister further stated that he is delighted to open the First Industrial Poultry Mill Feed Plant as production is done by an indigenous Sierra Leonean private business which is partnering with a reputable international firm with bank financing. He said such is exactly what the Feed Salone is all about.

With the growth that the poultry sector is experiencing in the country, the establishment of the new poultry feed plant is welcoming.

It can produce 250,000 high-performing feeds per annum can go a long way to addressing one of the biggest constraints facing the sector, which are the availability and affordability of quality feeds.

©EFAGE-SL Media