Marie Kpakanya Mansaray, CEO of Bo Poultry Feed Producers Cooperative

Building Food Security Through Poultry Feed

Across Sierra Leone, poultry farming is emerging as a growing area of opportunity within the agricultural sector. [EK1] Yet farmers continue to face a major challenges – the lack of affordable, locally made feed needed to keep their chickens healthy and productive. Bo Poultry Feed Producers’ Cooperative recognised this gap in the market and is working to bridge it by producing nutritious feed from locally sourced ingredients.

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Meet Marie Kpakanya Mansaray

From her base at the Centenary United Methodist Church compound on Mahei Boima Road, Bo City, and now producing at Bo Family Poultry along the Bo–Koribondo Highway, Marie is showing how women-led agribusiness can strengthen food security, create jobs, and inspire future entrepreneurs. Her journey began with a 50-acre cassava farm at Koribondo. Driven by her passion for poultry, she raised native breeds and experimented with feed formulations to improve nutrition. When successful, she realized her solution could help many other farmers.

Through Bo Poultry Feed, Marie developed a sustainable model using local raw materials— cassava peels from market women at Baimba Road, Bo, and Palm Kernel Cake (PKC) from Agro-Palm Investment. This approach reduces costs, strengthens agricultural linkages, and provides smallholder farmers

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The Turning Tide

Before joining the ILO Opportunity Salone project through SLeCAD, Marie faced major challenges: no machinery, limited infrastructure, lack of training, and financial instability. Her turning point came when she was invited to a three-day exhibition at Brookfields Hotel funded by ILO. There, Marie and her finance and administrative manager then received financial management training through Innovation SL, gaining exposure to customers, partners, and new business opportunities.

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Building, Growing, and Connecting

Bo Poultry Feed now supplies local poultry keepers across Bo District, including Bo Family Feed (half a ton monthly), Centennial Secondary School in Mattru Jong, Bonthe District, and Senbehun Kokofele Poultry (half a ton monthly). Each ton of feed equals 20 bags of 50kg, supporting both small-scale and larger poultry operations. By producing feed locally, Marie is reducing dependence on imports, supporting smallholder farmers, creating jobs for women and youth, and helping poultry farmers grow healthier flocks resulting in more eggs and meat for families.

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Connecting SMEs in Agriculture

Marie’s enterprise relies on strong partnerships within the agricultural value chain. Through Bo Poultry Feed, she developed a sustainable production model using local raw materials such as cassava peels and garri from market women at Baimba Road, Bo, and Palm Kernel Cake (PKC) from Agro-Palm Investment, Kenema. This approach reduces costs, strengthens agricultural linkages, and provides smallholder farmers and SMEs with steady markets for their by-products, serving as vital inputs for feed production and reinforcing

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Turning Vision into Impact

Marie’s journey illustrates the transformative power of women- led agribusinesses. Through innovation alongside the right tools, training, and partnerships, enterprises like Bo Poultry Feed are helping to build a more resilient and self- reliant Sierra Leone.

By the Numbers

• Raw materials: Cassava peels and garri from market women, and Palm Kernel Cake (Agro- Palm Investment)+

• Clients: Bo Family Feed, Centennial Secondary School, Senbehun Kokofele Poultry, and local poultry farmers

• Production: 1 ton = 20 bags of 50kg feed (0.5 ton monthly)

• Workforce: 3 casual workers (including 1 woman) and 5 cooperative members including Marie

• Training: Financial management through Innovation SL under the ILO Opportunity Salone Project