Along with cocoa, coffee is one of the major cash crops of Sierra Leone and is mainly cultivated in tropical rainforest regions in the Southern and Eastern provinces of the country.
The Republic of Sierra Leone is located in West Africa and bordered on the southeast by Liberia and Guinea to the east and north. The Atlantic Ocean sits to the west and southwest.
The climate of Sierra Leone is generally tropical though there are a diversity of environments ranging from rainforests to savannah. The country is rich in a variety of mineral resources and is one of the world's top ten diamond producers.
Major coffee growing districts include Moyumba, Bo, Kenema, Pujuhem, Kono and Kailhahun. A smaller amount of coffee is grown in the the Koindugu and Tonkolili districts of the Northern Province of Sierra Leone.
Coffee Production in Sierra Leone Hindered by Civil War
Civil war from 1991 to 2002 drastically reduced coffee production in Sierra Leone from about 15,000 metric tons annually to around 2,000 tons annually. Coffee farming families were displaced by the war and coffee plants were abandoned.
Though many people have returned to their farms most of the coffee plants have not yet been rehabilitated. Problems include a shortage of labor, severe poverty, and lack of technology to improve production and processing methods.
Many of the coffee plants have become wild and some former coffee plantations are moderately managed with an effort to gain some production.
Sierra Leone Coffee Production Hinges on New Investment
If recent surges in world coffee prices are sustained it may eventually reinvigorate the Sierra Leone coffee market though new investments in improved coffee plant varietals with better yields. However there has been more focus on rehabilitating cocoa production.
Sierra Leone has large areas of land that have been judged to be suitable for coffee production though it remains to be seen whether there will be investment to increase coffee planting.
With the large number of wild coffee now growing in the country there is an increasing amount of organic coffee being produced in Sierra Leone.
The population of Sierra Leone is about 6.2 million people and most live in poverty. Also a concern is government corruption and thus continued instability may hinder any large increases in Sierra Leone coffee production.
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Green Coffee Production
| Year | 60kg bags | Coffee grown |
| 2016 | 50,000 bags | 6,600,000 pounds |
| 2015 | 50,759 bags | 6,700,148 pounds |
| 2014 | 46,448 bags | 6,131,110 pounds |
| 2013 | 31,735 bags | 4,188,967 pounds |
| 2012 | 61,183 bags | 8,076,196 pounds |
Green Coffee Exports
| Year | 60kg bags | Coffee exported |
| 2016 | 0 | 0 pounds |
| 2015 | 45,760 | 6,040,320 pounds |
| 2014 | 41,450 | 5,471,400 pounds |
| 2013 | 26,730 | 3,528,360 pounds |
| 2012 | 56,180 | 7,415,760 pounds |
Data may not be available for the most recent year.
Source: ICO
Osman Alpha Kargbo
Stenophylla coffee is difficult to identify in Sierra Leone. What we as Monitoring Board doing physical quality assessment and grading, recognized The Robusta type coffee beans predominant in Sierra Leone.
Danny Cassella
Hello
I’m interested in green Robusta coffee.
Abdoulie Bah
I live in London and just came back from Sierra Leone last week. I will be going back in March and will be working with local farmers.
Please do not hesitate to contact me if you interested in buying coffee and palm oil.
Arron
I'll be there in February doing development work, would be nice to try and find a good cup of Joe though and maybe some beans to bring back. Any suggestions?
Gabriel S. Kendor
Abdoulie Bah, please send me an email message. I am very interested in shipment of coffee from Sierra Leone to the US. I also have potential investors. Thank you for your time.
Gabriel S. Kendor
Karim
Dear sir,
I am interested in robusta coffee beans
I hope your Swift reply
Kind regards ahmed
Patrick Conteh
I want to start a business link between Australia and Sierra Leone involving coffee.
Please advise the best variety to dealt with, and how to import the beans from Sierra Leone.
Eugene
Paul,
I may be interested to buy Stenophylla coffee, which is native to Sierra Leone.
I heard mixed reports of this coffee. Some claim it to be superior to Arabica, other claim it to be inferior to Robusta. I would like to buy a sample of Stenophylla coffee beans , that are certified by botanical expert, so I can examine them in coffee lab for caffeine content and give them to coffee cuppers/testers.
Please point me to the right direction.
Thank you
Vladimir
Dear Paul,
As far as I know there are some young Russians from UNISL Ltd. in Sierra Leone now (November, 2011) looking for export of coffee and cacao from Salone to Russia. They are living in Chinese Hotel (Lumly Beach) or in Kenema (Catholic Mission Guest House). By the way Nikita permanent residence is Dortmund, Germany.
Regards,
Vladimir
UNISL consultant