By Amin Kef Sesay
Sierra Leone Brewery Limited (SLBL) has initiated the 2024 Sorghum Cultivation and Awareness Campaign as a strategic move to bolster the local content policy and ramp up domestic sorghum production. The primary objective of the campaign is to equip farmers with superior sorghum varieties characterized by high yields and shorter growth cycles, ultimately uplifting their economic prospects.
The campaign, currently in full swing across Freetown and several districts including Bo, Kenema, Mile 91 and Moyamba, targets the active engagement of youths and women in sorghum cultivation. With over 25,000 sorghum farmers and their families reliant on this practice for sustenance, SLBL aims to expand this demographic, ensuring a consistent supply of locally sourced sorghum to fuel its daily production operations.
To incentivize participation, SLBL is offering complimentary seeds, training sessions, and access to loans for prospective farmers. Additionally, a pre-payment scheme has been established to streamline the plantation and supply chain process. Despite these incentives, SLBL has identified a shortfall in local sorghum procurement, necessitating the launch of this campaign.
Foday Daboh, Corporate Affairs Manager at SLBL, elaborated on the rationale behind the Pre-Harvest Sorghum Cultivation Campaign, highlighting its pivotal role in supporting farmers nationwide to cultivate sorghum varieties tailored to SLBL’s specifications. Through this initiative, farmers are empowered to bolster their income streams while catering to SLBL’s demand for high-yield sorghum.
Moreover, farmers are being trained in the optimal utilization of preferred sorghum strains, with demonstration plots established to underscore effective agronomic practices conducive to enhancing both the quality and quantity of produce at the farm level.
Aligned with, its parent company, Heineken International’s commitment to enhancing local sourcing efforts as part of its 2025 BABW agenda, SLBL’s Sorghum Cultivation and Awareness Campaign stands as a testament to its dedication to strengthening local supply chains.
With the rollout of this campaign, SLBL aims to attract a broader base of farmers and augment the availability of locally sourced sorghum for its production processes. By championing sorghum cultivation and extending support to farmers, SLBL endeavors not only to meet its internal demands but also to uplift the livelihoods of farmers throughout Sierra Leone.
