-VP Taylor restates Gov’t commitment to investing in Agric
By P. Clarence Jackson, latifahkpah172@gmail.com
Gbarnga, Liberia- Programs marking the official launch of Agric Power Africa- Liberia in collaboration with the Liberian has taken place in the central Liberian city of Gbarnga, in Bong County.
Speaking when she officially launched the program on Monday on behalf of the government and people of Liberia, Vice President Jewel Howard-Taylor said government remains committed to investing in the agriculture sector of the country with the Ministry of Agriculture leading the way.
Vice President Howard-Taylor thanked APAL for choosing Liberia as the next destination after Nigeria and pledged the government’s support to the project.
She noted that various co-investment fund programs and the launching of the Agric Power Africa-Liberia Project fully re-echoes government’s repeated reminders to stakeholders that investment in agriculture should not be considered an exclusive preserve of the government.
VP Howard-Taylor recalled the huge role private investment is playing in moving nations to self- sufficiency in food production and wants Liberians to take full ownership of the sector.
The Liberian Vice President said it is no doubt that the activities of Agric Power Africa in Liberia are key to creating awareness of the critical need for the private sector to be involved in the provision of vital inputs like fertilizer, seeds and other agricultural supplies to farmers.
Vice President Howard-Taylor explained that strengthening the provision of private sector services to farmers for fertilizers, seeds and other inputs is critical to the transformation of the sector and expressed the hope that Agric Power Africa will ensure that such supply goes hand in hand with teaching the farmers the proper use of these inputs.
“It is now time for Liberia to reduce dependence on the importation of major commodities and I strongly believe that the coming of Agric Power Africa might be that opportunity needed to change the story around”.
“For this, I want to encourage all farmers not only in Bong County but everywhere in Liberia, to take advantage of the opportunity to transform their lives.”
Agric Power Africa CEO Dr. Aroms Emmanuel Aigbehi
Also speaking at the occasion, the Chief Executive Officer of Agric Power Africa, Dr. Aroms Emmanuel Aigbehi indicated that the entity is all about empowering smallholder farmers to become big farm holders.
Dr. Aigbehi outlined that they will introduce the concentrated Agriculture system where production is focused on a small piece of land but with maximum yield.
He also mentioned that the project will be centered on three pillars including training and building the capacity of farmers and agriculture students, mechanize the existing land by providing farmers with tools and implements that will boost production, and commercializing the agriculture products by working with other producers to transport produce as well as preserve the items for both the local and external markets.
“ We will also establish large anchor farms in the targeted communities that will assist small farms grow into larger, mechanized and efficient operations, as well as facilitate loans to APAL’s farmers through agriculture cooperative banks, Dr. Aigbehi noted”.
He also clarified that Agric Power Africa Liberia is not a charity organization, rather, it is a private partnership comprising of Africans that intends to collaborate with the Government of Liberia, the private sector, community colleges, technical agriculture schools and other partners in Africa, Europe, Asia and America to attract funding, technical expertise, equipment, inputs and other resources to run the project successfully.
Dr. Aigbehi made it clear that the project will be piloted in Fuama district, Bong County and later expanded to other parts of the targeted counties mentioned.
Agric Power Africa -Liberia Country Director
Speaking earlier, Agric Power Africa Liberia’s Country Director, Watchen Harris Bruce named the seven counties that have been targeted for the project as Bomi, Bong, Grand Bassa, Lofa, Margibi, Montserrado and Nimba Counties.
Mrs. Bruce, a Liberian with vast experience in the agriculture sector, indicated that the project will be piloted in Fuamah District in Bong County and will later be expanded to other parts of the targeted counties.
Under the project, she noted that famers will be trained and empowered to increase yields from existing farmland, and APAL will establish warehouses to add value to food produced for local, national and international export markets.
She added that APAL will provide agriculture inputs, equipment and implements and train lots of young people from agriculture colleges and technical school including the Tumutu Agriculture Vocational Institute in Bong County to be agriculture extension workers with the farmers.
The lunching ceremony was graced by top officials including the Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Cllr. Syrenus Cephus, Bong County’s Superintendent, Esther Walker and Senator Sando Johnson of Bomi County amongst others.
Agric Power Africa- Liberia is a non-governmental organization designed to galvanize Africa men and women to use agriculture to create jobs, wealth, alleviate poverty and enhance food security within countries in Africa.
The program model is the only model that will bring Africans together, both at home and abroad to transform the agricultural landscape of Africa using innovative methods to increase farmer’s yields and create access to market.
In Liberia, Agric Power Africa will support smallholder farmers to increase yield and agribusiness in value addition to attract export market in the rice, cassava, vegetable, and aquaculture and livestock value chains.
The project will also work with the Central Bank of Liberia to establish cooperative bank for farmers to access loan. It will also work with suppliers who organize themselves into network across the country for the movement of goods and services in Liberia.
The project seeks to further work with International partners to facilitate the rental of agricultural machineries to farmers in Liberia at affordable price.
It will also work with the Ministry of Agriculture trained extension officers in counties of operation to provide technical support to local farmers and National supply chain network to provide all farming inputs to the farmers through a national farmer’s registry and mobile networks.