WFP donates rice thresher to women’s group

Rice thresher and accessories surrounded by members of MAGAMA Farmers Group joined by MOA and WFP Deputy Country Director Asif Bhutto (center) Women farmers belonging to the MAGARMA Farmers Group in rural Montserrado County will henceforth thresh their lowland rice yields using a high capacity rice thresher, donated by the World Food Programme (WFP) in Liberia.

WFP made the donation during the harvest of six (6) hectares of lowland rice recently. The head of MAGARMA, Mrs. Esther King Lincoln, says, “We see this donation of thresher and accessories by the WFP as a great relief because in the past we have gone through pains when threshing our rice with our feet. Today is a great day for us.”

Presenting the thresher to the group, WFP’s Deputy Country Director Asif Bhutto lauds the women for their efforts against hunger. “I want to congratulate you today for this great achievement in your strive for food security in Liberia.” He notes that WFP is glad to support smallholder farmers throughout the country, adding, “WFP Liberia has supported over 6,000 smallholder farmers from 1,500 communities representing 12 districts in ten (10) Counties under the organization’s 2016-2017 Livelihoods Assets and Market Promotions (LAMP) programme funded by the Government of Japan.”

He explains that WFP supports and works in collaboration with the Government of Liberia through the Ministry of Agriculture together with several Liberian NGOs that serve as Cooperating Partners of WFP to assist community-based efforts. “This WFP LAMP programme supported community based organizations (CBOs) to rehabilitate, develop and maintain community based productive assets (lowland swamp structures, Community-to-farm access roads and other livelihood connected activities”, Mr.Bhutto adds.

At the same time, Mr. Bhutto together with the Ministry of Agriculture through its Director of Community Empowerment, Mr. Preston Anderson, has officially launched the harvest of six (6) hectares of rice, supported by nearly a dozen members of the MAGARMA Farmers Group. Mr. Anderson praises the group for the production and pledges the Ministry’s technical support to enhance its capacity.

MAGARMA comprises mainly women that are engaged in rice, vegetable, banana, plantain as well as livestock, including duck, pig, and chicken. The group also operates in Grand Bassa, Bong and Grand Gedeh Counties, respectively. Press Release