The Ministry of Agriculture and Japan’s International Cooperation Agency has concluded a work plan meeting for improving rice production in Liberia, which marks one of the first technical cooperation projects of the Ministry of Agriculture in Liberia.
According to the Project Design Matrix, the duration of the project is from March 2021-February 2025(4years) and the location is Bong County.
According to the agriculture ministry, the purpose of the project is to increase average rice yield of participating farmers, improvement of rice cultivation techniques, capacity development of farmers groups for conducting group activities and capacity development of counterparts for monitoring and evaluation of the project.
The implementing agency is the Ministry of Agriculture’s Department of Regional Development , Research and Extension (DRDRE) which is the operative arm of the Ministry, whose statutory responsibility is to advance extension advisory and delivery services to farmers thus increasing productivity in the agronomic sector of Liberia.
The report quoted Assistant Minister for Research and Extension at the Ministry of Agriculture Minister Alvin Wesseh as saying “Rice being our staple food and political commodity it is now time that we as a nation and people participate in order to increase rice production on the local front with the requisite support so that full scale food security is achieved through machanised farming”.
According to Weseh, the Ministry of Agriculture under the administration of President George Manneh Weah is working deligently to achieving pillar # 2 of the pro poor agenda for prosperity and development that emphasizes the need for sustainability of food security, employment opportunities and a better economy for all and sundry.
