By Emma Black
April 13, 2025 in a historic step toward transforming Sierra Leone’s agricultural landscape, vice President Dr. Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh has hailed Pee Cee Holdings Ltd for securing a $12 million loan from the international Finance corporation (IFC) to establish a groundbreaking 500-hectare onion farm in Lokomasama, Port Loko district, signed on April 7, 2025, the deal marks a cornerstone of President Julius Maada Bio’s Feed Salone initiative, promising to slash food imports, create jobs,
and position Sierra Leone as a regional agricultural powerhouse.
Dr. Jalloh, in a widely shared X post, praised the project’s potential to drive food self-sufficiency, congratulations to Pee Cee Holdings for this landmark agreement with the IFC, he wrote, this farm will produce over 40,000 tons of onions yearly, reducing imports and enabling exports to neighboring countries, Kudos to CEO Mahesh Nandwani for creating opportunities for hundreds of Sierra Leoneans. I’m proud to support this journey.
The IFC, part of the World Bank Group, is funding Pee Cee agriculture, the agribusiness arm of Pee Cee Holdings, to develop a modern, irrigated, and mechanized farm the first of its scale in Sierra Leone. Beyond onions, the project will grow maize and other staple crops, fostering a climate-resilient agricultural ecosystem, with an annual output expected to exceed 40,000 tons, the farm aims to end Sierra Leone’s reliance on imported onions, a goal underscored by a 2023 onion price crisis that strained households.
This isn’t just a farm it’s a model for sustainable progress, said Dahlia Khalifa, IFC’s regional Director for Central Africa and anglophone West Africa, with government and community backing, this project can make Sierra Leone a food export hub, creating jobs and stability, the initiative aligns with global sustainability goals, using advanced irrigation to combat climate challenges and reduce environmental impact.
Ekta Nandwani, deputy CEO of Pee Cee Holdings, represented the company at the signing, expressing gratitude for the IFC’s partnership, we’ve gone from importing onions to growing our own future, she said.
This farm will empower rural women, boost the poultry sector with local maize, and strengthen our food supply chain, she credited IFC’s advisory support, which helped increase onion yields tenfold during pilot phases over the past four years, laying the groundwork for this ambitious expansion.
The project’s impact is already tangible. Minister of Agriculture Henry Musa Kpaka highlighted its role in stabilizing food prices, two years ago, we faced an onion shortage crisis, he recalled, Now, Pee Cee’s locally grown onions are cheaper than imports a true Feed Salone success, the farm is expected to employ hundreds, with a focus on women and youth, while contract farming schemes will support smallholder farmers with training and resources to boost their yields.
Pee Cee’s vertically integrated approach spanning farming, storage, distribution, and retail sets it apart. Operating in Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Guinea, the company minimizes post-harvest losses and ensures steady food availability, a processing facility, set to open before the next harvest, will further enhance efficiency, with long-term plans to diversify crops and target export markets across West Africa.
Innovation is central to the project, partnerships with Njala University and the ministry of agriculture are driving research into modern farming techniques, while training programs aim to build a skilled agricultural workforce, we’re not just growing crops we’re growing expertise, said Ms. Nandwani, noting plans to scale the model nationwide.
The government’s support has been pivotal. Dr. Jalloh’s presence at the signing, alongside minister Kpaka, signals strong public-private alignment, this is what Feed Salone looks like in action, Dr. Jalloh said, emphasizing job creation and economic resilience, community landowners in lokomasama have also embraced the project, seeing it as a pathway to local development.
Challenges remain, including ensuring equitable access to benefits for smallholder farmers and navigating climate risks. Yet, the IFC’s expertise and Pee Cee’s track record inspire confidence, this partnership shows what’s possible when vision meets action, said a local farmer in Port Loko, hopeful for new opportunities,
the ministry of agriculture for details on future expansions but received no response by press time, as the Lokomasama farm takes root, it stands as a beacon of hope a bold stride toward food security, economic empowerment, and a self-reliant Sierra Leone, ready to feed itself and its neighbors.
