& Work Out Practical Solutions To Ensure Mass Production Of The Nation’s Staple, Rice
By Edwin M. Fayia, III, fayiaedwin@gmail.com
It is no doubt that climate change is real and it is hear with us in Liberia and around the world.
According to its definition, “Climate change includes both the global warming driven by human emissions of greenhouse gases, and the resulting large-scale shifts in weather pattern.”
Some of the most reliable statistics from Liberia’s agriculture research agencies and corroborated by some United Nations agriculture related institutions have shown that the CDC-led government has not in
been in the business of working out concrete mechanisms in its first few years in office.
Besides, it has been observed that past nearly three years, there are no genuine plans in the making geared towards tackling the burning issues of Climate Change adaptation and Global Warming in the country by major stakeholders in the agriculture sector.
Weather pattern statistics obtained from scientific institutions and world media rated 2020 as the hottest year in living memory and urgent steps are needed by governments and prioritize Climate Change and Global Warming issues as paramount.
Powerful world leaders have begun to urge all countries to critically consider the issues of Climate Change and Global Warming as two cardinal challenges now confronting all nations in the world that needed proactive approaches at every level of leadership.
Follow other West African countries’ examples
Interestingly, it is reliably learned that other countries in the West African sub-region have started to set out concrete priorities that would enable farmers to begin preparations leading to Climate Change and Global warming adaptions in their respective countries.
Vast majority of Liberians in the agriculture sector have begun to express grave concern over the lukewarm approaches to the serious implications of Climate Change and Global warming effects which have started to bite and blow in several ways in the country.
In Liberia at the moment, periurban and backyard garden farmers have begun experience the grave consequences of global climate change and global warning in several parts of Montserrado County settlements.
Regrettably, since early December 2020, Montserrado County and several parts of the 15 counties continue to experience constant heavy downpour of rains thus sending shockwaves of worries and frustration among rural and urban farmers in the country.
In addition, from human contacts, there are no concrete comments coming from the major players of the Liberian Government agriculture sectors such as the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA), Cooperative Development Agency (CDA) and the Central Agriculture Research Institute (CARI) in Montserrado and Bong Counties.
On top of the numerous concerns being generated throughout country from Liberian farmers and other related agriculture organizations, the Liberian government’s agriculture arm continues to be conspicuously silent about these vital global issues of Climate Change and Global Warming.
In a week-long tour of several of the previously supported Nongovernmental organizations under the financial support of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (UNFAO) that assisted periurban and backyard farmers in some parts of Montserrado County, www.newspublictrust.com heard urgent SOS appeals have been sounded by people in this sector. They want to be rescued from the grave effects of Climate Change and Global warming.
The hundreds of affected periurban and backyard garden farmers in separate comments specifically directed their appeals to one key local NGOs such as Farmers Against Hunger (FAH) one time headed by its former Director, Cllr. John Jukon.
The affected farmers also made their passionate appeals to three key international NGOs Action Against Hunger (AAH), Danish Refugee Council (ZOA) and Welt Hunger Hilfe (German Agro Action) (GAA) to direct their financial support to the local NOGs in order for them to help the periurban and backyard farmers in several parts of Montserrado County and other areas in Liberia.
Periurban lowland rice farmer Sylvester Tamba Foko of the township of Brewerville in Montserrado County pointed out that he needs some technical assistance that would enable him adapt to the current Climate Change and Global Warming effects in the country.
“As head of a family five dependants in this poverty stricken community of Brewerville with no other means of gainful employment, our conditions are becoming unbearable as poor periurban farmers over the years,” Farmer Tamba cried out.
Backyard gardener Yawah B. Tumbey, a producer of okra and pepper at the Chicken Soup Factory in Gardnerville intimated that early December of 2020, she and her children brushed a sizeable swamp area for okra and pepper production.
“We are indeed regretting due to the fact that the constant rains have stalled all our plans and sadly, we are now unable to do anything on that land as the entire area is flooded with huge water,” Madam Tumbey lamented.
“I would like to suggest that Ministry, agriculture stakeholders and critical support partners should wake up now and work out practical plans that will ensure the mass production of our staple food, rice in all parts of our country,” Madam Tumbey cautioned.