IPNEWS: The Government of Liberia is expected to formally launch the ‘Liberia ‘Feed Yourselves Agenda’ also known as the National Aquaculture Development Plan, today, Wednesday, July 10, at the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Ministerial Complex in Oldest Congo Town.
The ambitious National Aquaculture Development Plan stands as a major step towards boosting Liberia’s agricultural sector with the aims to guide the nation’s agricultural development over the next six years with a projected investment of $718 million.
The event will gather key stakeholders, including government officials, development partners, and private sector investors, to outline the strategic vision and collaborative efforts required to advance Liberia’s agricultural sector.
Ahead of the launch, Agriculture Minister Alexander Nuetah emphasized the necessity of the plan, stressing that despite significant donor support the sector was still lacking behind in terms of meeting the country’s concerted food security needs.
Minister Nuetah stated that the Ministry of Agriculture together with its partners have realized that while aquaculture has received the highest donor support in the country, it has not delivered the desired outcomes due to many factors.
“This plan aims to strategically channel investments from the government, private sector, and development partners to ensure sustainable growth and self-sufficiency in agriculture,” he stressed.
The National Aquaculture Development Plan outlined a comprehensive investment strategy involving various stakeholders.
The Liberian government also plans to contribute 35% of the total investment, private sector is expected to invest 30%, with a focus on transforming agriculture into a viable business sector.
Smallholder farmers will contribute 5%, underscoring the importance of grassroots involvement and development partners aimed to provide 40% of the funding, aligning future investments with the strategic goals of the plan.
The plan has been meticulously costed and will serve as a blueprint for agricultural development, fostering a more coordinated and impactful approach key goals include enhancing food security, increasing agricultural productivity, and creating investment opportunities within the private sector.
“This plan not only guides government efforts but also creates investment opportunities for private sector entities interested in agriculture,”
“It outlines various chains of interest for investment, ensuring a holistic and inclusive approach to sectorial development.” Minister Nuetah stressed.
The agriculture specialist called on all stakeholders, including the legislature, to support the implementation of the plan and highlighted the critical role of the legislature in providing the necessary funding to finalize the implementation.
He urged development partners to align their future investments with the plan to realize the aspirations of a robust agricultural economy for the Liberian people concluding, “We invite all media representatives to join us in disseminating this significant development. The success of this plan hinges on the collective efforts of all actors in the sector.”
Meanwhile, Minister Nuetah disclosed that the Government of Liberia has signed two Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) with Chinese companies aimed at enhancing agricultural productivity, technology transfer, and sustainable development.
The first MOU, signed between the Ministry of Agriculture and Sinomach Hainan Development took effect on June 20, 2024, and is valid for three years, while the second MOU, signed with the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Mechanization Sciences Co., Ltd., came into effect on June 21, 2024, and will be in place for five years.
Agriculture Minister Nuetah furthermore emphasized the importance of these partnerships especially the significance of the series of MOU signed in an efforts to modernize Liberia’s agricultural sector.
He said the collaboration with Sinomach Hainan Development Co., Ltd. and the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Mechanization Sciences Co., Ltd. will bring advanced technology, enhance food security, and promote sustainable agricultural practices.”
Furthermore Minister Nuetah highlighted the potential of these agreements to attract investments, boost agricultural productivity, and ultimately improve the livelihoods of Liberian farmers.
“The Agriculture plan is to make food production sufficient, and increase food production on 50,000 acres of land across the country.
Dr. Neutah named rice, cassava, co-co, vegetables as well as fishery as food that farmers will produce for the government and people of the country.
At the same time, the Liberian Agriculturist noted that Bong, Nimba, Lofa and Grand Cape Mount Counties are areas ear marked for the production of said food.
Earlier in March 2024, the Ministry of Agriculture in collaboration with Agricultural development agencies, researchers, and policymakers organized a business summit to draw a seed road map for the Liberia within the coming days.
The consortium includes the Building an Economically Sustainable Integrated Cassava Seed System, Phase 2 (BASICS-II) project of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), AfDB-funded Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation (TAAT) of IITA, the Sasakawa Africa Association (SAA) in Nigeria, and the Liberian government.
The two-day Seed Business Summit themed, “Building a Harmonized Roadmap for Seed Sector Transformation”, being organized in collaboration with the Liberian Ministry of Agriculture, will be held between 25 and 26 March in Monrovia, the Liberian capital.
The forum, which aims to catalyze an agricultural revolution in that country, is targeted at the establishment of an economically sustainable seed system for priority crops like rice, cassava, maize, soybean, and aquaculture.
“Factors limiting growth in Liberia’s agricultural sector include the underdeveloped seed sector characterized by poor quality seeds, a weak seed regulatory framework, a struggling research system for variety maintenance, and a feeble private sector participation in the seed system”, said Godwin Atser, the Country Director of Sasakawa Africa Association in Nigeria.
He said a solid seed system will surely change the country’s agricultural landscape. In this summit, SAA, BASICS-II, TAAT, and other partners will share the models currently strengthening the seed system in Nigeria.
He said: “For example, there’ll be powerful technical sessions where the host and other countries will be exposed to how BASICS-II is building a sustainable cassava seed system in Nigeria, and Tanzania.”
Mr Atser noted that they will also showcase how they are scaling and replicating seed system development in cassava, maize, soybean, and rice in other African countries.
The BASICS-II Project Manager, Lateef Sanni, explained that the seed business summit would elevate the voices of value chain actors in the rice, cassava, maize, soybean, and aquaculture seed system by sharing success stories on increasing the availability of climate adaptive, improved, and disease-free seed to improve farmers’ livelihoods.
“The summit will produce outcomes that will form the basis of future investment in Liberia’s seed system. It will produce recommendations that will help forge a roadmap that will feed into the country’s agricultural policies and plans: the Liberia Agriculture Sector Investment Plan, the Pro-Poor Agenda for Prosperity and Development, and other developmental initiatives in the country. Moreover, other sub-Saharan African countries can take a cue from it,” he said.
The Liberian Minister of Agriculture, Alex Nuetah, will chair the opening ceremony of the summit with the support of other Liberian dignitaries from the parliament and related ministries.
According to the organizers, apart from the IITA, Sasakawa Africa Association and the project leaders and partners of the Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation (TAAT) and BASICS-II, several national stakeholders and International Development partners will participate at the summit.
They include the African Development Bank (AfDB), the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO); the Competitive African Rice Initiative (CARI); the Integrated Rice-Fish Farming System (IRFFS), and the World Bank.
Others are the European Union’s Development Smart Innovation through Research in Agriculture (DeSIRA) initiative; World Food Programme (WFP), International Monetary Fund (IMF), United States Agency for International Development (USAID); the EU, France, GIZ, Ireland, JICA and China, as well as agencies of the UN system.
Farmers, seed producers, Universities of Agriculture, and the National Seed Board of Liberia will also attend.
In a related development, Empowering Farmers: Fuamah District Cooperative Receives Boost
Agriculture Minister, Dr. J. Alexander Nuetah, accompanied by esteemed officials of the ministry, recently visited the Fuamah District Multi-Purpose Farmers’ Cooperative in Bong Mines. The purpose of this visit was twofold: to relaunch rice production activities within the cooperative and to evaluate the Ministry of Agriculture’s ongoing support in the district.
During the visit, Minister Nuetah expressed sincere appreciation for the dedication demonstrated by the farmers of Fuamah towards bolstering food security in Liberia. He reaffirmed the government’s unwavering commitment to supporting farmers in their endeavors to increase food production.
Moreover, Minister Nuetah emphasized the importance of collaboration, stating that while the Ministry of Agriculture is committed to creating an enabling environment for farmers, active participation and dedication from farmers themselves are crucial for success.
In a significant announcement, Minister Nuetah highlighted that agriculture stands as President Joseph N. Boakai’s primary priority, and he assured that the ministry is fully aligned with the president’s vision for the sector. As a demonstration of this commitment, Minister Nuetah and his team provided essential agricultural equipment to the cooperative, including a multipurpose tractor, a mini bulldozer, and various improved implements aimed at enhancing efficiency and productivity.
Mr. Prince D. Peter, Chairman of the Fuamah District Multi-Purpose Farmers, expressed gratitude towards Minister Nuetah and his team for the increased support provided to farmers in Bong Mines. He underscored the transformative impact this assistance will have on expanding farms and increasing yields in the upcoming seasons.
Chairman Peter disclosed that the cooperative currently farms on over one thousand hectares of lowland and anticipates further expansion due to the intervention of the Ministry of Agriculture.
With renewed motivation and support from the Ministry of Agriculture, the Fuamah District Multi-Purpose Farmers’ Cooperative in Bong Mines is poised to emerge as a key player in Liberia’s efforts towards achieving food security.
