Liberia needs to graduate from subsistence farming
The West Africa Regional Fisheries Project Coordinator Yevewuo Subah wants Liberia to graduate from subsistence to mechanic farming to ensure food sufficiency here.
Mr. Subah notes that 70 percent of Liberians depend on agricultural livelihoods, but most Liberian farmers are poor as they depend on subsistence farming which barely produces enough to feed their individual families.
He spoke during a presentation at the Governance Commission’s Agriculture and Food Security Forum held recently at the Corina Hotel in Monrovia.
Speaking on the topic, “Agriculture: Commercial and Enterprise Development”, He says Liberia’s agriculture sector is still plagued by a number of challenges including managerial, environmental, climatic, economical, and development which continue to hamper the country’s growth and development.
Mr. Subah continues that these challenges also include Structural constraints, inadequate policy implementation, displacement of farming communities due to conflict, degraded transportation, production and other infrastructures, and diminished productive capacities.
He recommends that for commercialization and enterprise development to become a success in Liberia, government should ensure that it puts in place adequate policy and programs and ensure legislative environment, encourage multi-sectorial coordination; build institutional & human capacity; facilitate trade and promote markets and attract investment to strengthen public-private partnership in agriculture.
