By Tokpa Tarnue- tarnue82@gmail.com
Zorzor, Liberia- For the first time, a high quality peanut butter factory has been formally opened in Konia town, Zorzor district Lofa County, 130 kilometers from Liberia’s capital, Monrovia.
Constructed by the (DARBODAKEI) Farmers’ Cooperative Society, the high quality peanut butter factor was officially opened on at the weekend on Friday May 24, 2019.
DARBODAKEI is a Lorma word meaning (Talk and Do) and the group is encouraging farmers in Lofa and other parts to grow more peanut, which can be harvest twice a year.
The (DFCS) is a non-governmental registered entity and certificated by the Liberian government through the Cooperative Development Agency (CDA) of Liberia and the Business Registry since 2015.
Giving an over view of the group at the opening ceremony in Konia, the Board Chairman for the DARBODAKEI Farmers Cooperative Society, Galakpai W. Kortimai said the cooperative is made up of 220 individual peanut growers in various farming communities in Lofa County, especially the Zorzor district with a ration of 80% females and 20% males.
The former Lofa County Superintendent indicated that during the past years, farmers have grown peanuts in the Konia belt, where the price is always been determined by buyers especially market women from Monrovia.
This, he said, puts the farmers at a disadvantage of not realizing expected income as planned by themselves as it relates to their production expenditure.
“As a result of this disadvantage, the farmers decided to group themselves under an umbrella named and styled, “DARBODAKEI Farmers Cooperative Society” Chairman Kortimai disclosed.
According to him, the purpose of establishing the group is to help farmers increase their production and to also add values to the products (Peanuts) by turning it into peanut butter.
“With the increase in production and added values to the products, there will be an increase in income for the group, individual members of the group and other peanut growers within the localities thereby having farmers to sustain themselves and their households,” the former Lofa County Superintendent explained.
Mr. Kortimai further disclosed that the cooperative was awarded a grant from the United States African Development Foundation (USADF) through EDU-Care Liberia for support to farmers under its peanut butter production program.
He said the grant provided massive and improved training for farmers to increase their productions through the adapted training.
According to him, the grant also covered the purchase of a machine/grinder and tools for the production and processing of the peanut butter on a larger scale and the construction of the peanut butter processing center in Konia town, Lofa County.
Potion of the grant was also used to empowered farmers to increase their individual farms for the cooperative to purchase their products.
“We intent to increase our productions across the county and the country at large to meet the market demand for peanut butter and to also establish the production of peanut oil in Liberia; but this will require the support of all,” the former Lofa boss noted.
He challenged farmers in the county to specialize in peanut production in order to regularly supply the factory to ensure larger production.
Meanwhile, Liberia’s Vice President, Dr. Jewel Sianneh Howard Taylor through a proxy, praised the members of the DARBODAKEI Farmers Cooperative Society for their commitment in striving to ensure that Lofa can regain her pre war status as the bread basket of Liberia.
Speaking on behalf of VP Taylor, Mr. A. Mulbah Gbumorlukue presented an amount of $80,000 Liberian Dollars as her initial contribution to the substance of the factory.
For his part, the chief of office staff in the office of Lofa County Senator George T. Tengbeh Mr. Daniel Selu serving as co-launcher presented an amount of $20,000 Liberia Dollars as additional support to the group with a called on the farmers to increase their production to supply the factory with the need products for timely production.
He also praised the government and people of the United States through its African Development Foundation for the lever of support to Liberia over the years.