Rédaction Africa Links 24 with New Dawn
Published on 2024-03-31 21:02:20
Liberia’s agriculture sector has seen significant growth in the past year, particularly in the production of rice. Minister of Agriculture, Dr. J. Alexander Nuetah, announced a 53 percent increase in domestic rice production, a feat that he described as a remarkable success. This achievement was a result of the Emergency Rice Production Offensive (ERPO) initiative, where 18,000 hectares were developed with rice seed varieties, leading to the production of 30,000 metric tons of rice.
The country, which heavily relies on rice imports to meet its consumption needs, imported around 350,000 metric tons of rice in 2022. Despite these high import numbers, efforts are being made to boost domestic production. The World Bank’s 2023 report highlighted a growth rate of 5.9 percent in the agricultural sector, driven by increased rice and cassava production. Minister Nuetah has set a target of supporting farmers to produce 50,000 metric tons of rice annually in the next six years.
The ministry aims to develop 50,000 lowlands to ensure sufficient rice production and reduce the need for imports. The recent Stakeholders Engagement Forum addressed challenges within the rice and cassava value chains, following the successful implementation of the ERPO initiative. The forum served as a platform to discuss pricing and market linkages to further enhance the success of the rice offensive initiative.
One of the key issues raised during the forum was the difficulty farmers faced in marketing the surplus of paddy rice produced. Minister Nuetah emphasized the importance of having off-takers to purchase the excess rice to generate income for the farmers. He stressed the need for realistic pricing based on facts to drive the agricultural sector forward. The ministry is actively working to reduce production costs for farmers and make rice more affordable for consumers.
The World Bank, through its Agriculture Specialist Kelvin N. Doesieh, commended the government’s efforts in increasing domestic rice production. The Bank recognized the success of the initiatives that led to higher rice yields, as observed during a recent mission to Lofa and Nimba counties. Doesieh highlighted pricing and market linkages as key constraints in the sector and encouraged stakeholder dialogue to address these issues.
Dr. Moses Zolue, Crop Development Specialist at the Ministry of Agriculture, emphasized the strategy of moving farmers into lowlands to boost rice production using modern technologies. The government’s support in providing farmers with improved seed varieties, fertilizers, and equipment has resulted in increased yields in several counties. Zolue also mentioned the distribution of cassava cuttings to farmers to enhance cassava production.
The workshop participants expressed satisfaction with the discussions on pricing and market challenges in the rice and cassava value chains and called for more such engagements in the future. They acknowledged the role of the private sector in increasing food production but stressed the importance of addressing marketing constraints. The Ministry’s plans to focus on farm mechanization aim to reduce labor costs and improve market linkages. Overall, the stakeholders emphasized the need for collaborative efforts to further enhance Liberia’s agricultural sector.
Read the original article on The Newdawn Liberia
