Freetown, 29th June, 2026 — Sierra Leone’s thriving Plassas export trade has ground to a halt, leaving more than 50 farming families in Lungi and surrounding communities facing severe economic hardship.
For the past two months, no consignments of Plassas leaves and condiments have left Sierra Leone for the United Kingdom. Normally, over 10 tons of vegetables and condiments are exported weekly through Lungi International Airport, sustaining businesses abroad and providing livelihoods at home.
The alarm was raised by Khadie Khadie of Khadie Fresh, a Sierra Leonean businesswoman based in the UK and one of the country’s major exporters of cooking condiments. She warned that the blockade is crippling the supply chain and threatening the survival of businesses that depend on Sierra Leone’s exports.
The sudden suspension followed a notice from the sole freight agent handling cargo for Brussels and Lufthansa Airlines, announcing a blockade on exports from Sierra Leone. No official explanation was given, though exporters say they were told of “payment issues” despite paying freight charges in advance.
The disruption has triggered cascading losses across the value chain: Farmers in Lokomasama, Port Loko, and Lungi report produce rotting in fields.
Export‑linked businesses, from smoked fish processors to ogiri makers, banana leaf washers, and ginger cake producers have laid off workers. Families who relied on the trade to educate children, build homes, and pay shop rents in the UK market are now struggling.
Exporters warn that the UK community market, which depends heavily on Sierra Leone’s Plassas supply, is already feeling the pinch. “This trade built an ecosystem from farms to processing hubs and improved standards of living for many. Now everything is collapsing,” one exporter lamented.
Despite appeals, conversations with the Ministry of Trade during London Civic Week yielded no resolution. Exporters accuse officials of ignoring their plight, even as the blockade threatens to erase years of investment in value‑added chains.
