IPNews-Monrovia: The government of Liberia through the Ministry of Agriculture over the weekend, presented cheques in the ton of $ 295,750.54 United States Dollars to Agribusinesses in the Country.
Speaking during the presentation ceremony, Agriculture Minister Madam Jeanine Milly Cooper said the gesture is intended to ensure amidst the global pandemic (COVID-19) Food Security, Nutrition and livelihood of Formal and Informal Agribusinesses are maintained.
The Liberian Agriculture Minister added that an inter-Ministrial panel consisting the Ministries of Agriculture,Commerce,Finance and State Without Portfolio was constituted and subsequently conducted a thorough evaluation for the agribusiness sector in Liberia.
Madam Cooper said forty-six formal businesses passed the evaluation while sixty-three persons won successfully in the informal sector.
Cooper who is also a farmer pointed out that the cheques presented to agribusinesses are ceilinged at $ 10,000 USD, while Input Service Providers and Agri-dealers were placed at a ceiling of $ 1,000 USD.
She lamented further that agro-dealers in the formal and informal sectors are very much essential in the government’s efforts to make Liberia fully food secured.
Madam Cooper said sourcing fundings for them (Agribusinesses) to enhance their operations is at the core of the Ministry of Agriculture’s rollout plan for the Agriculture sector under her watch.
The Liberian Agriculture Minister Cooper used the occasion to admonish Beneficiaries to use the money received to improve, add-value, increase their production in order to adequately supply consumers.
She however reechoed to the them that all of the money given to them is a grant from the World Bank, that needs not to be repaid.
The Project styled Smallholder Agriculture Transformation and Agribusiness Revitalization Project (STAR-P) with finding from the World Bank, is part of a 5-year 48-million Agricultural support program to Liberia.
Also speaking at the ceremony, Finance and Development Planing Minister Samuel D. Tweah reaffirmed the Liberian government’s commitment in supporting the Agriculture sector.
He disclosed that the government is at the same time sourcing fundings particular grant to help support Farmers in the areas of Rubber, Oil Palm and CoCoa production.
Tweah pointed out that a 10 percent budgetary support to the Agriculture sector is a “Must” but it is a gradual process.
He praised the Ministry of Agriculture for implementing the project while at the same time thanked the World Bank for its relentless support to Liberia.
For theirs part, the 109-beneficiaries from both the formal and informal sectors expressed joy over the receipt of the gesture termed it as a blessing.
Accordingly, they stated that the grant will be used to purchase equipment, increase their market supply, add more value to their products among others.
They made the assertions at the Ministerial Complex January 24, 2021 in Congo Town, when they were handed checks by the Ministry of Agriculture to enhance their works.
