IllustrativeSierra Leone Rice Value Chain
Sierra Leone · NationwideAgro-processing · Rice, mechanisation, milling and aggregation
250 mechanisation service centres, 364 equipped rice mills and 66 aggregation hubs to cut Sierra Leone's rice imports of 350,000–450,000 tonnes a year, for an estimated c. USD 191.2m in blended equity and debt.
Rationale
Imports meet about a third of Sierra Leone's rice demand: 350,000–450,000 tonnes a year, worth USD 150–200m.¹ Mills run at only about 40% utilisation and yields average 2.0–2.4 t/ha against 3.5+ t/ha on commercial farms; rice self-sufficiency leads the Feed Salone plan (2023–28).
- Mechanisation
- 250 service centres with workshops, rental model
- Milling
- 204 mills rehabilitated, 160 built, 364 equipped
- Aggregation
- 66 hubs; 72,000 m² of storage
- Stage
- Greenfield, at feasibility
Investment opportunity
Transaction structure
Blended equity and debt across private and PPP components of a government-prioritised investment plan.
Use of funds
Mechanisation centres USD 100.0m; milling and storage USD 49.3m; aggregation and financing facilities USD 41.9m.¹
Revenue basis
Rental and shared-service mechanisation, and milled rice sold into the domestic market.
The ask
Blended equity and debt for mechanisation service centres, mill rehabilitation and new mills, storage and aggregation hubs.
Why it is bankable
Imports meet about a third of demand: 350,000–450,000 tonnes a year, worth USD 150–200m.¹
Mills run at only about 40% utilisation; the plan targets 80% by 2028.
Average yields of 2.0–2.4 t/ha, against 3.5+ t/ha on commercial farms and 8 t/ha potential.
Rice self-sufficiency leads Feed Salone (2023–28), through six industrial hubs; consumption is about 500 g per person a day.
Data and evidence · Today vs the 2028 national goals
| Today | 2028 goal | |
|---|---|---|
| Paddy yield | 2.0–2.4 t/ha | About 4 t/ha |
| Milling utilisation | About 40% | 80% |
| Post-harvest losses | About 40% | Under 10% |
| Rice imports | 350,000–450,000 t a year | Halved by volume |
Project readiness and timeline
- OriginationGreenfield
- FeasibilityCurrent stage
- StructuringTo follow
- Financial closePost-diligence
- ConstructionTo follow
Key risks and mitigants
Not contracted; milled rice replaces imports of 350,000–450,000 t a year in the domestic market.
Mills run at about 40% today; aggregation hubs and storage feed paddy to mills, targeting 80% by 2028.
364 mills, 250 centres and 66 hubs across four clusters; the mill rehabilitation and siting plan is released under NDA.
Transaction terms
- Offtaker
- Domestic market
- Contract status
- Not contracted
- Instrument sought
- Blended: equity and debt
- Structure
- Private and PPP components within a government investment plan
- Technology
- 250 mechanisation packages and workshops; 204 mills rehabilitated, 160 built; 66 hubs
- Capacity
- 364 rice mills equipped; 72,000 m² of storage
- Location
- Bonthe, Pujehun, Kambia and Tonkolili rice clusters; sites under NDA
- WAIIS pillar
- Agribusiness & Food Systems
Development impact
Social
38,200 direct and 229,000 indirect beneficiaries, with per capita income up USD 215.¹
Economic
Goal to halve rice import volumes by 2028, easing a USD 150–200m annual import bill.
Food security
Post-harvest losses cut from about 40% to under 10% by 2028.
Climate
+473,265 tCO2-e over 20 years; biomass dryers and renewable charging planned as mitigation.