By Amin Kef Sesay
The nation’s premier company, very renowned for producing high grade and qualitative alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks ,including Star Beer, Guinness, Mutzig, Maltina among others, which many individuals have attested always taste refreshing, the Sierra Leone Brewery Limited (SLBL), is currently on a pre-planting sorghum campaign nationwide.
The objective of the campaign is geared towards encouraging more farmers to grow sorghum in order to timely supply the company with the required amount of sorghum needed for SLBL’s sustainable production of beverages.
It could be recalled that similar campaigns have been undertaken over the years with the avowed aim of bringing the company closer to sorghum farmers in order to ensure that the latter know exactly what is required of them and what SLBL can offer them.
During the ongoing nationwide campaign sorghum farmers are taken through some of the important things they need to know in the planting of the crop as well as when they should harvest and the exact quantity that the company expects from them.
According to the Managing Director of Sierra Leone Brewery Limited, Laurent Bukasa, they are once again undertaking a national engagement of farmers in order for them to get involved in Sorghum cultivation during this planting season
“As usual, SLBL is continuously supporting the Local Content Policy and the national call by the Government to support agriculture. Our dependency on locally grown sorghum as an ingredient for our quality products is intact and will always be supported for the good of the farmers, the company and the country.
We always want more farmers to go into sorghum cultivation because the already existing 25,000 sorghum farmers and their family members that we work with presently have still not been able to supply us the demand of sorghum we want every year. We have expanded our brewery and our production continues to improve to meet market demand and even possibly venture into exporting our products within the West African sub-region.
Also, we want to assure our farmers that the effects of COVID-19 cannot affect our partnership as we are always poised to support them. Even though the outbreak of COVID-19 is affecting our sales and business, we will continue to buy whatever quantity they can produce so that they can continue to derive endless benefits for their families. We are partners in growth and we will continue to stand with Sierra Leone in whatever situation because we believe in the resilience of the people of this country and we believe in the country. The campaign will cover all districts in the country starting from Freetown,” the Managing Director furthered.
The MD continued by saying their contributions to nation building cannot be over-emphasized and it is their vision to ensure the empowerment of local farmers and promotion of the country’s agricultural system.
The Corporate Relations Manager of SLBL, Albert Ojo Collier, stated that, “in the past we used to pay visits to areas where sorghum is mostly grown to meet the farmers face to face but for now we are unable to do so because of COVID-19 which is why we are using another strategy to reach out to these farmers. This campaign will see us increase the number of sorghum farmers and their family members we support across the country which is presently at around 25,000 in number.”
Collier made mention of how they have experienced lots of new people who have shown interest to get on board and demonstrated willingness to join the Sorghum Farmers Association and be part of the sorghum farmers supplying the company.
According to him, SLBL has experienced a short fall in the supply requirement from farmers owing that they have expanded the Brewery with new equipments such as the mash filter equipment and the seven massive fermentation tanks which expanded their establishment.
He said they now need more farmers to grow large quantities of sorghum because their target keeps increasing as sales also increase.
During an exclusive interview, Denis Jusu, Chairman of Sorghum Farmer, lauded the SLBL for the interface it had been having with sorghum farmers pointing out that though there are some challenges to be surmounted yet they are committed to do more in the areas of improving and expanding productivity.
“As an Executive we will always do what it takes to champion and improve the interests of our members,” Denis Jusu informed adding that the contributions of sorghum farmers cannot in anyway be underrated.
The Company is also noted for honouring its Corporate Social Responsibility as well as timely payment of taxes to the Government.
In a nutshell, the SLBL is immensely contributing to overall national development.
