Wienco Liberia

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IFC is considering a blended finance solution to provide long-term financing to Wienco Liberia to support its: (i) capital expenditure including the construction of warehouses in up-country Liberia and (ii) pre-harvest financing of fertilizers and other agricultural inputs for small farmers. Both of which will increase access to inputs and access to storage facilities for smallholder cocoa farmers. Wienco Liberia is engaged in the import and distribution of high quality fertilizers and agro chemicals for cocoa trees in Liberia, as well as the purchase and export of dry cocoa beans from smallholder farmers. As the Company expands its operations with farmer cooperatives it will need a larger network of warehouses for cleaning, grading and storage of the crops. Warehouses would help reduce post-harvest losses and provide access to market to small farmers thereby increasing Wienco’s overall control on the farmers’ revenues flow and the repayment rate of the pre-harvest financing. Wienco Liberia plans to build 6 large warehouses up-country, in the cocoa producing regions, over the next 3 years. Supported by training and product development, Wienco Liberia is partnering with Cocoa Lela Association to provide agricultural inputs to farmers on a reliable, timely and efficient basis so to improve productivity of smallholder farmers and increase their income. Small farmers from the same village form groups of 8-12 members each and co-guarantee each other within the group. Input packages are given by Wienco Liberia to farmers on credit and payment for the same is made in kind through the delivery of an equivalent value of dry cocoa beans through the harvest season. It is expected that the project will reach up to 7,500 farmers in the next 5 years from its current base of 1,500 farmers and increase their cocoa yields from 750 kilos per hectare to 2,250 kilos per hectare.