PHOTO: FAO Representative, Mariatou Njie launching vegetable harvest in Nimba County
The Resident Representative of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in Liberia has assured farmers in the northeastern Nimba County of her organization’s sustained support in improving on their modern vegetable garden.
Madam Mariatou Njie was speaking recently, when she addressed a cross-section of members of ‘Say No to Hunger farmers’ in the area.
She promised the farmers that under the United Arab Emirates-funded project that plans are underway to provide solar-powered irrigation, storage, affordable transportation and market linkages support to enhance their production, value addition and aid marketing of vegetables.
Madam Njie visited the area to launch a vegetable harvest from a 2.5 hectares garden in Welenah community, Nimba County.
The FAO representative said her team was impressed with the level of efforts applied by members of ‘Say No to Hunger Farmers’ in ensuring successful establishment the vegetable garden.
Commenting on the storage and value addition, she indicated that technology to be provided is referred to as ‘Farm from Box’, given that it adds value to both vegetable and poultry produce using an equipped container.
Crates of fresh garden eggs, tomatoes and cabbages harvested from Say No to Hunger modern garden
For his part, the Executive Director of “Say No to Hunger Farmers’’ applauded the FAO team for its tremendous inputs and technical support provided them since 2019.
Mr. Ezekiel Sayetee commended the FAO and the coordination team of the project titled: “Promoting increased resilience and sustainable income generation, food security and nutrition for rural women.”
He added that as one of the twenty-six farmers cooperatives from the United Arab Emirates-funded project so far, they have benefitted from agronomic training on good agricultural climate smart practices, inputs seeds, tools, management, marketing support and agro-machineries.
Also speaking, the chairman of a neighboring cooperative, Per-ta-luo Farmers Group, Joe S. Sehneah, expressed gratitude to FAO for the support his farmers’ group has received as well.
He, however, highlighted couple of common challenges that they are faced with in the cultivation and management of their vegetable gardens.
According to the two farmers’ cooperatives, the challenges include limited irrigation facility to water their gardens beyond the rainfalls to enable them to re-cultivate crops after the rains, pest control, difficulties in establishing farm-gate marketing of their crops, lack of storage and transport facilities of their vegetable produce.
In closing remarks, the Board Chairman of the Say No to Hunger Farmers, Dr. Mogana S. Flomo applauded the FAO for supporting farmers groups especially the rural women to learn improved agronomic practices, increase their resilience, promote sustainable income generation, food security and nutrition.
Dr. Flomo assured FAO of sustained commitment of members of both ‘Say No to Hunger farmers’ and Per-ta-luo Farmers Groups. “Given these supports received so far including those underway, I hereby urge our members to redouble their efforts to work harder to increase subsequent cultivation and harvest’’ Board Chairman Flomo, concluded.
On the concept, FAO Liberia has for the first time, introduced the integration of poultry and vegetable farming on the same space.
Added to the technology for value addition, are improved agronomic practices and agro-machinery.
This model – which usually targets a minimum of five hectares – aims to boost local production, increase income, and reduce food and nutrition insecurity.
Considering the bordering counties of Bong, Lofa, Nimba and Gbarpolu, this model of commercialization holds great potential to increase and sustain export of products to neighboring communities in Guinea, Cote D’Ivoire and Sierra Leone when optimized – and to this, FAO is committed.