2020 was a year like no other, but Mountain Lion Agriculture again rose to the occasion and persevered. Despite week-long lockdowns, shipping delays, and a host of other challenges, our production for the year was only slightly below target. Our team also completed a factory upgrade which was installed on time for the harvest season as you can see below:
Despite our hard work and progress overall, the COVID19 pandemic did impact our annual performance and smallholders in particular. Specifically, as a result of COVID19-related lockdowns many smallholder farmers ended up consuming their rice and seed reserves over the course of the year. While last year our smallholder outreach programs and relationships enabled us to keep buying and producing off season, we were unable to replicate this performance in 2020 as a result.
The pandemic was yet another reminder of the importance of local food production, as rice prices increased in Sierra Leone due to international shipping disruptions:
https://financialpost.com/commodities/agriculture/the-global-food-trade-has-been-upended-by-a-container-crisis
These disruptions vividly illustrate the importance of our work for national food security, and bode well for our near and mid-term market outlook. We are therefore approaching 2021 with optimism, energy and enthusiasm. We are both thankful and proud to stand with our partners at MEDA, KIVA, Horsch Foundation, CordAid, Woord en Daad and Incluvest to enhance food security and make an outstanding contribution to the nation during such a difficult time.
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