Mountain Lion Agriculture is happy to report that 2019 was our best performing year to date. We demonstrated strong cost control and saw intense demand for our nutritious, locally-preferred product as imported rice prices continued to rise. Most excitingly, the intersection between development impact and business efficacy again made itself clear: In a year where we intensively supported our smallholder suppliers, these smallholders in turn demonstrated their commitment to our Company and stored rice for us up to the end of Q3 (when raw rice is not normally available). The overall result was a significant increase in our annual performance due to an exceptional amount of rice sold during what is normally our “off season.” This enabled sales for the year to exceed projections by 26% with a total of 1,813 tons sold.
Mountain Loin Agriculture’s partnerships with KIVA, Woord en Daad and Cotton Tree Foundation were a big part of this year’s success. They enhanced our supplier loans, agronomic training and also enabled smallholder organization into Village Savings and Loan Groups. Our investment in our suppliers has helped them get the most out of their business engagement with us, but also paid off by motivating them to store rice for us much later than we had thought possible. In 2019 Cotton Tree Foundation also helped further prove-up our compost and mulch focused “climate-smart” Ag as the best way to train and enable smallholders to produce more. This system – which builds fertility in the soil and protects the crop from extreme weather with freely available local biomass – proved itself again in 2019 by increasing smallholder yields and offsetting an usually late end to the rains in which significantly impacted many of our farmers.
As imported rice prices continue to increase, consumers are suffering while food insecurity is on the rise in Sierra Leone. There is huge, urgent demand for our rice. With our market, agronomics, supply chain and model all in place, Mountain Lion Ag is ready for growth. We are keen to expand, knowing it will be good for farmers, consumers, the country and its environment. We are looking to the future with confidence, and expect an impactful 2020 for all. Here’s to a prosperous 2020 that builds on our past success!
Sincerely, The Mountain Lion Ag Team
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