Leecon Poultry Company opens new hatchery to boost Sierra Leone’s local meat production
Facility aims to reduce chick imports and increase domestic poultry meat supply; project funded by Qatar-based development agency
SIERRA LEONE – A newly opened hatchery by Leecon Poultry Company is set to shift Sierra Leone’s poultry meat production away from imported chicks toward locally bred stock.
The facility, established in partnership with the African Poultry Multiplication Initiative (APMI), is designed to strengthen the country’s poultry sector by producing chicks better suited to local farming conditions.
Funded by the Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD), the hatchery combines parent stock breeding, egg incubation, and chick preparation in one location—making it the first such system in Sierra Leone.
Leecon says the operation enables a consistent supply of day-old chicks to smallholder farmers, which is expected to raise the volume and quality of meat produced domestically.
This development comes as many poultry farmers continue to depend on imported chicks, often at high cost and with limited control over quality or adaptation to Sierra Leone’s environment.
The company notes that by overseeing the full hatchery cycle—including vaccination and biosecurity—the facility offers chicks that are healthier and more productive for meat purposes.
A recently released video by the company documents this cycle, showing everything from parent bird care and egg handling to incubation and final chick delivery.
The hatchery is expected to reduce poultry importation, which consumes significant foreign currency and can disrupt local supply chains when delays or shortages occur.
In turn, this could lead to a more stable poultry meat market, while allowing farmers to improve yields and invest more confidently in their operations.
The project also supports broader goals of food security by increasing the availability of locally sourced animal protein and encouraging self-reliance in agricultural production.
Leecon’s facility includes disease control measures, technical oversight, and climate-appropriate breeding—all of which are geared toward boosting the health and survival rates of the chicks.
While the project targets smallholder farmers, it is also expected to benefit the wider economy through job creation along the poultry value chain.
APMI says the hatchery model could serve as a regional example for other African countries looking to strengthen local poultry systems.
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