Progressive Farmers Cooperative Lauds GAFSAP
By Gabriel M C Parker from Bomi County
TUBMANBURG, Liberia- A Farmers Cooperative here in Bomi County spoken of increase in their production and expansion of their farms due to support from the Global Agriculture and Food Security Program (GASFP).
The Progressive Farmers Association has lauded GAFSP for its support to the association, which it says has made them vibrant in in vegetable value chain in this western Bomi County.
This farmers’ cooperative is one of several farming groups in the County benefiting from the Smallholder Agriculture Development for Food and Nutrition Security (SADFONS) project being founded GAFSP.
Speaking when ActionAid Liberia Team visited the Association’s farm as part of its ongoing impact review of the SADFONS project, the lead farmer Henry Kollie said, prior to their involvement with SADFONS, the farmers struggle to expand their agricultural production.
He explained that this was largely due to challenges which ranged from limited access to modern farming tools, insufficient seeds, the lack of expertise and farmers working in fragments and on very low scales.
“Before SADFONS came in we faced too many problem in increasing our vegetables production, we had the farmland but no tools and support, it was very hard for us,” Kollie noted.
Mr. Kollie told the review team that as the results of the intervention from the SADFONS project that provided them with the much-needed resources to improve their agricultural production.
They have now upgraded from cultivating vegetables from one lot of farmland to about five hectares of land with increase variety of vegetables crops to include: cucumbers, okra pepper and cabbage, he explained.
The Lead farmer of the Progressive Farmers Association Cooperative further stated that SADFONS also aides the association with several farming implements such as shovels, hoes, Cutlasses, rains boots, improve s seeds among essential tools, among others farming implements that now allowed the farmers to optimize their productivity.
He also emphasized that the tools play a cardinal role in improving the farmers’ ability to increase their vegetables yield.
“The Cutlasses and seeds SADFONS gave us help to take us to where we are in our production, we are now growing more than before and we are also supporting our families through it, ” Mr. Kollie disclosed.
In addition to the farming implements, the SADFONS program is also said to have provided valuable training and capacity building opportunities known as the farmers’ field school, this training helped to build the capacity of farmers in sustainable farming practices and climate smart agriculture.
Some farmers taking time off to rest after a hectic period of work
He noted that with the new skills and tools, farmers were not only able to increase their productions but also become more resilient to challenges pose by climate change.
Despite the huge impact, the lead farmer for the Progressive Farmers Association Cooperative called on SADFONS and it is implementing partners to for continue support, thereby underscoring the need for more capacity building training and additional resources to help farmers in Klay and other areas to expand their productions.
Kollie again used the medium and remind SADFONS and partners and the MOA team to make good their promise of the solar irrigation system
The GAFSAP impact review is being carried out in six counties— Grand Bassa, Rural Montserrado, Maryland, Grand Gedeh, River Gee and Bomi counties, respectively.
According to the ActionAid Liberia Team lead James Pewee the assessment seeks to help the Donors understand and have clear picture of how Liberia’s farmers who are benefiting from the SADFONS project have been able to shift or improve their farming practices.
The review he added also seeks to understand from the farmers the existing challenges, gaps and prospect, while also identifying key areas the project lapses and strength.
As ActionAid Liberia Team concludes the review process with Bomi being the last County, Pewee said that findings from the review will be submitted to ActionAid International for actions.