By Hassan Gbassay Koroma
In a significant move to enhance agricultural productivity in the country, the International Finance Corporation (IFC) has partnered with Pee Cee Holdings to finalize a long-term loan agreement valued $12 million.
The collaboration aims to bolster onion production, benefiting farmers and boosting the overall agricultural economy.
The long-term loan will support the Pee Cee Agribusiness that aims to develop a fully irrigated and mechanised 500-hecter farming operation to produce more than 400,000 tons of onions annually, along with other staple crops, including maze and potatoes, with the aim of reinforcing food security, job creation and economic empowerment of rural women in the country.
Speaking at the signing ceremony which was held at Pee Cee Holding Farm in Port Loko, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Pee Cee Holdings, Ekta Nandwani, said the two entities have a vision to create a mechanised farm aimed at reducing the reliance on the importation of onions.
He said they also aim to enhance the cultivation and processing of maize to support the poultry sector in Sierra Leone and subsequently West Africa.
She highlighted that their journey from trading in fast moving consumer goods to engaging in farming has been a truly remarkable journey.
He said despite the challenges encountered along the way, they have consistently received unwavering support from IFC.
“Like my father, I am committed to the feed Salone programme and ready to continue investing in a sustainable Agribusiness environment to improve food security and enhance capacity building through the transfer of skills from foreign experts to indigenous Sierra Leoneans, including the operation of the latest tractors, seeding and spraying machines, fertiliser formulas, and irrigation systems. As a major importer of onions with established storage and distribution centres across the country, the cultivation and processing of onions at this farm would connect the value chain to great effect,” she said.
She stated that she believes Agribusiness is the fastest growing sector in West Africa, benchmarking with their partners in Senegal and Ivory Coast, the motivation to improve the performance at their farm is high.
She disclosed that they were planning the completion of the first phase of the processing house at the farm before next season’s harvest, adding that the agronomic, technical, environmental, and social support provided by the IFC over the past three years has been immense and very much appreciated.
She said working with the lFC facilitates the improvement of systems and structures not just at the farm but across their other subsidiaries aimed at the development and implementation of best practices in agriculture and the other sectors they operate.
She said they have established a strong platform to grow and process onions, maize and other vegetables and it was very important partnership now to build on the foundation by cultivating quality onions that would be difficult to distinguish with imported ones and produce good maize that can be used as feed in the poultry sector.
She said in the future they will work towards reducing the reliance on the importation of onions gradually, every year, exploring the opportunities for export to neighbouring countries, while making further investments in the cultivation and processing of maize.
“With our partners at IFC, land owners, ministry of agriculture and related partners, I believe that in the next three to four years, importation numbers for onions will reduce significantly. The agribusiness sector in Sierra Leone will be both positive and sustainable.”
Also speaking, IFC Regional Director for Central Africa and Anglophone West Africa, Dahlia Khalifa said the farm has grown very fast with a potential to remove the need for the importation of onion.
She noted that the farm was not only exploring other crops including maize to help poultry farming, but it is an example of how innovation, risk-taking, resilient for a group such as Pee Cee is bringing to change agriculture and improve food security in the country.
She said government has a food security vision for the country, and the Pee Cee Holding farm is part of the vision towards achieving that vision.
“When you want to transform the economy of a country, it takes a village to do it, and everyone has a role to play. From government to the private sector, to consumers and to international agencies such as the IFC and the World Bank group all working together with a shared vision,” she said.
According to her, investing in sustainable agriculture is key to strengthening food security and economic resilience in Sierra Leone.
She said IFC is committed to fostering sustainable agriculture, driving economic growth and ensuring long-term benefits for local farmers and communities in Sierra Leone and in other African countries.
She highlighted that the project was helping to build the future of Sierra Leone and called on farmers and the private sector to invest in the agriculture sector.
Minister of Agriculture,Henry Musa Kpaka said Pee Cee and sons Holding is one of the biggest onion importers in the country that is planning to do more by investing in onion production in the country.
He said his ministry has a good relationship with Pee Cee Holdings because what they are doing is complementing the feed Salone programme.
He said as a minister, he ensured that he linked over 1,000 local onion producers with Pee Cee Holdings, ensuring that those local producers sell their products to the company for proper care.
“I have visited this farm several and the reason why I came and will continue to come, it is because Pee Cee Holding is demonstrating what is at the heart of the government. One of the goals we have in strategy, is to eliminate or reduce importation of some of the main staples that we have,” she said.
According to him, for the government to succeed in that direction, they need all the major stakeholders in the country on board, for which the private sector is key, thus, called on the people to come and invest in other agriculture areas especially in the rice, cassava, poultry and other farming sectors.
