The Ministry of Agriculture has signed three new projects with partners to empower farmers in Liberia to increase crop production.
The projects were signed with the African Development Bank, the World Bank, and the International Funds for Agricultural Development, respectively.
Liberia’s Minister of Agriculture, Jeanie Cooper made the disclosure Thursday, September 9, 2021, in a weekly press briefing at the Ministry of Information in Monrovia.
Minister Cooper further disclosed in June 2021, the ministry also signed a US$72 million agricultural project.
She says the project will be executed over the next five years in 13 counties, specifically focusing on the food crops value chain, infrastructure development through the building of farm-to-market roads, and increasing resilience to climax change.
The new project includes a fund to pave 40 kilometers of road from Tappita, Nimba County to Totota, Bong Country.
The project’s focus is to provide cash grants to Liberian agribusinesses, cooperatives, farmer groups, and commercial farmers to increase their outputs, Madam Cooper details.
She says this will ensure the expansion of many Liberian food products on the national market, not only in terms of quantity but also the quality that would create a high possibility of linking Liberian products to the international market.
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“We are concluding our national dialogue on viable food system under the United Nations food system summits dialogue”, the Agriculture boss explains, adding that the dialogue will kick off on 23 September.
She says in response to President Weah’s urge to move from subsistence to mechanized farming in Liberia, the ministry made a donation of agri-machinery to farmers for the production of cassava, rice, and vegetables.
Madam Cooper the current Minister of Agriculture replaces Dr. Mogana Flomo, who was relieved of his duties on June 29, 2019.
President Weah made the nomination on Thursday, 16 January 2020, following months of a rigorous vetting process.
Prior to her appointment, Ms. Jeanine Cooper served as Managing Director of FABRAR-Liberia Enterprise Limited. FABRAR, an organization she founded in 2009, specializes in processing and marketing local agriculture and food products for domestic consumption and export.https://thenewdawnliberia.com/us16m-for-agriculture/ Editing by Jonathan Browne
