• Sonoco seeks undisclosed eight-year IFC loan for Guinea poultry project
• Integrated facilities planned near Kindia, Massayah, Sanoyah, operational by 2027
• Project aims to cut poultry imports, boost local output from under 5%

Société nouvelle de commerce (Sonoco), Guinea’s leading flour producer, is seeking a loan from the International Finance Corporation (IFC) to finance the development of an integrated poultry farm in the country, the IFC said on Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2026.

The size of the eight-year loan has not been disclosed. The proposal remains subject to approval by the IFC board of directors.

The project will be implemented through Sonoco’s subsidiary Fermav Industries, which specializes in integrated poultry farming. According to the IFC, the plan involves building new infrastructure at several key sites. A breeding center and several poultry houses will be established in the Daboyah district on the outskirts of Kindia, alongside a hatchery equipped with incubators.

A slaughterhouse will be built in Massayah, while an animal feed factory will be erected in Sanoyah. Some facilities are already nearly completed, and the others are expected to be operational by March 2027.

The project is also expected to help boost Guinea’s poultry sector, which remains heavily dependent on imports of frozen chicken. Local production meets less than 5% of national demand, according to data from the Ministry of Livestock. The ministry has set a target for domestic output to cover 30% by the end of 2026.

In addition to the financing, the IFC will provide oversight and support in managing environmental and social risks. Sonoco, for its part, must implement the project in line with the IFC’s performance standards. These cover fair treatment of workers, food safety, waste management, biodiversity preservation, and control of the soy and maize supply chain to prevent the use of child labor and the conversion of natural habitats.

The project builds on the ongoing partnership between Sonoco and the IFC. This collaboration previously resulted in $25 million in financing in 2019 for the construction of six grain silos in Conakry and the development of flour and bouillon production.

Sandrine Gaingne