Liberia: “We Will Reintroduce Liberica Coffee”
Ag Minister Nominee Says
Liberia’s agriculture minister designate, Dr. J. Alexander Nuetah, says the government will reintroduce the Liberica coffee variety to support the coffee sector that had been given very little attention by the government over the years.
Liberica coffee is indigenous to Liberia, and it is reported that, before the civil war, the country exported significant amounts of the coffee beans.
Last Thursday, during his confirmation hearing, Nuetah said that support for the coffee sub-sector will improve incomes of smallholder coffee producers and serve as a revenue source for the government.
Coffee is one of the priority crops for the Liberia Agriculture Sector Investment Plan (LASIP). However, direct support from the government has not been forthcoming for coffee.
As the country’s national agriculture investment plan to drive economic growth, LASIP encourages investors’ focus to shift from rubber to other sub-sectors such as rice, palm oil, cocoa, coffee, and others.
The global coffee market is huge. A report shows that in 2021/2022 annual review, the International Coffee Organization found that global coffee consumption increased by 3.3% to 170.3 million 60kg bags.
Several farmers in coffee producing counties in Liberia are being supported for coffee farming. But there is a need to strengthen them for the global coffee market.
The agriculture minister nominee informed the senators that he will make sure within the first 100 days to review LASIP so as to also ensure support for subsectors like coffee.
“The next 100 days, we are going to review the LASIP to make sure that cash crops like coffee are given attention. The cash crop The global coffee market is huge. A report shows that in 2021/2022
annual review, the International Coffee Organization found that global
coffee consumption increased by 3.3% to 170.3 million 60kg bags.
Several farmers in coffee producing counties in Liberia are being
supported for coffee farming. But there is a need to strengthen them
for the global coffee market.
The agriculture minister nominee informed the senators that he will make
sure within the first 100 days to review LASIP so as to also ensure support
for subsectors like coffee.
“The next 100 days, we are going to review the LASIP to make sure that
cash crops like coffee are given attention. The cash crop sub sectors if fully
supported, will bring more revenues to the country,” he said.
Besides coffee, the minister designate spoke on plans for different
interventions of other value chains, including poultry, rice, cassava, cocoa,
rubber, concessions and among others.
Poultry production
The Minister-designate said that his administration is going to provide
support to farmers to grow more maize in order to address the constraint
of feed.
Liberia’s poultry industry imports feed from neighboring countries. Because of
the many challenges facing the industry, the country still depends on other
nations to some extent for poultry products.
if fully supported, will bring more revenues to the country,” he said.
Besides coffee, the minister designate spoke on plans for different interventions of other value chains, including poultry, rice, cassava, cocoa, rubber, concessions and among others.
Poultry production
The Minister-designate said that his administration is going to provide support to farmers to grow more maize in order to address the constraint of feed.
Liberia’s poultry industry imports feed from neighboring countries. Because of the many challenges facing the industry, the country still depends on other nations to some extent for poultry products.
“We will make sure to empower farmers to produce more maize and encourage investors to set up processing plants to process the maize into feed,” he said.
Cassava production, farm mechanization
Nuetah mentioned that the cassava sector is one of the value chains which, when given full attention, will create jobs for the youths and increase the incomes of the smallholder producers.
He said his administration will work with investors to establish processing plants to ensure better market opportunity within the cassava sector.
According to him, to improve the production capacities of cassava farmers, the ministry will support farm mechanization and encourage farmers to farm as cooperatives.
“We are going to identify large portions of land and bring the farmers together in clusters to produce cassava. With this methodology we will be able to increase production and ensure export of cassava products and its derivatives,” he mentioned.
The minister designate said that priority for farm mechanization is something that the government is still seriously looking toward to increase productivity.
The enhancement of farm mechanization remains a major drive for the government since then to move agriculture forward but there is a need for improvement.
According to the Agriculture Ministry nominee, the country can’t meet its goal for food self-sufficiency without making sure that farmers are supported with machines to increase productivity.
“We are going to establish farm mechanization hubs in regional areas of the country so that farmers can access services. In fact, right now the Ministry of Agriculture has procured some machines that are at the Central Agriculture Research Institute. Those machines will be sent to regional centers to assist the farmers,” he explained.
Nuetah added that encouraging farm mechanization will attract Liberian youths to agriculture.
Access to Finance
Though the government is ensuring access to finance for agriculture through grants, the minister designate told the senators there is a need for the country to improve on access to finance for agriculture.
He said to make this happen he intends to resuscitate the Agriculture Cooperative Development Bank (ACDB), but in a different way.
Nuetah clarified that the liability associated with the reestablishment of the Bank is huge.
“The country can’t bring back the ACDB due to a huge liability. But we will have an institution that can play similar roles,” he clarified.
Meanwhile, Nuetah has promised to avoid conflict of interest and to ensure transparency for funding for agriculture.
“I will make sure that my farm gets no support with funds from the partners and from the government,” he assured.