LOFA COUNTY – Liberia’s breadbasket, Lofa County, located in the northwestern part of Liberia, has tripled its production of rice.
According to statistics obtained by the Daily Observer from the county administration and corroborated by agriculture-oriented non-governmental organizations about a week ago, farmers early this year cultivated large areas of farmland and maximized production of both rice and other cash crops.
As a result of their hard work and unwavering commitment to the call by the Liberian Government for all Liberians to engage in agricultural programs, farmers in Lofa County have also vowed to produce more food to make the nation self-sustaining in food production in the next five years.
“With requisite support from the Liberian Government and agriculture stakeholders,” one Lofa farmer said, “we will certainly feed the nation with all essential agriculture commodities during every farming season in the country.”
Lofa farmers also underscored the need for the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) to work out modalities for the modernization of farming activities across the nation, as subsistence farming will not promote mass production and self-sufficiency in food production.
The MOA, they appealed, must train Liberian farmers in the use of modern equipment such as power tillers, tractors and new farming techniques that will help them graduate from the hoe, cutlass and digger that are only conducive to small scale farming in the country.
“As the biggest producers of food in the country,” the Lofa farmers pointed out, “not much is being invested in our county as compared to Bong and Nimba counties since the incumbency of the Unity Party-administration.”
“Sadly,” they added, “we have only received praises from government officials and some stakeholders in the agriculture sector for the production of food using the ancient method of subsistence farming for the past several decades. Holding of fabulous agricultural fairs indeed does motivate us, but training farmers in the use of modern farming equipment, preservation of food and modern techniques is critical to the achievement of food security and self-sufficiency.”
The farmers also intimated that there are commitments from both European and Western governments to lend massive support to Liberia’s agriculture sector.
Responding to the issues raised by the farmers, Lofa County Inspector, Jamil Kamara disclosed that this year’s farm statistics could be placed at more than 800 large farms cultivated by committed farmers in the seven administrative districts of the county.
Kamara also noted that in order to maintain the high level of participation by the farmers, the agriculture sector must be decentralized at the Central Agriculture Research Institute in Suacoco, Bong County.
He agreed with the famers that there is a need for the modernization of the agriculture sector through the provision of the requisite machinery for rural farmers in order to enhance their productivity, efficiency and effectiveness.
“In order to adequately feed the nation,” he asserted, “Liberian farmers must graduate from the primitive method of subsistence farming to ensure maximum production of a variety of food, which includes rice and other essential cash crops.”
The Ministry of Internal Affairs official also underscored the need for the rehabilitation of all farm-to-market roads in Lofa County, as such initiative, he said, is critical for the achievement of the objectives of the Poverty Reduction Strategy (PRS).
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Updated: January 17, 2010 - 6:55pm
LOFA COUNTY – Liberia’s breadbasket, Lofa County, located in the northwestern part of Liberia, has tripled its production of rice.
According to statistics obtained by the Daily Observer from the county administration and corroborated by agriculture-oriented non-governmental organizations about a week ago, farmers early this year cultivated large areas of farmland and maximized production of both rice and other cash crops.
As a result of their hard work and unwavering commitment to the call by the Liberian Government for all Liberians to engage in agricultural programs, farmers in Lofa County have also vowed to produce more food to make the nation self-sustaining in food production in the next five years.
“With requisite support from the Liberian Government and agriculture stakeholders,” one Lofa farmer said, “we will certainly feed the nation with all essential agriculture commodities during every farming season in the country.”
Lofa farmers also underscored the need for the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) to work out modalities for the modernization of farming activities across the nation, as subsistence farming will not promote mass production and self-sufficiency in food production.
The MOA, they appealed, must train Liberian farmers in the use of modern equipment such as power tillers, tractors and new farming techniques that will help them graduate from the hoe, cutlass and digger that are only conducive to small scale farming in the country.
“As the biggest producers of food in the country,” the Lofa farmers pointed out, “not much is being invested in our county as compared to Bong and Nimba counties since the incumbency of the Unity Party-administration.”
“Sadly,” they added, “we have only received praises from government officials and some stakeholders in the agriculture sector for the production of food using the ancient method of subsistence farming for the past several decades. Holding of fabulous agricultural fairs indeed does motivate us, but training farmers in the use of modern farming equipment, preservation of food and modern techniques is critical to the achievement of food security and self-sufficiency.”
The farmers also intimated that there are commitments from both European and Western governments to lend massive support to Liberia’s agriculture sector.
Responding to the issues raised by the farmers, Lofa County Inspector, Jamil Kamara disclosed that this year’s farm statistics could be placed at more than 800 large farms cultivated by committed farmers in the seven administrative districts of the county.
Kamara also noted that in order to maintain the high level of participation by the farmers, the agriculture sector must be decentralized at the Central Agriculture Research Institute in Suacoco, Bong County.
He agreed with the famers that there is a need for the modernization of the agriculture sector through the provision of the requisite machinery for rural farmers in order to enhance their productivity, efficiency and effectiveness.
“In order to adequately feed the nation,” he asserted, “Liberian farmers must graduate from the primitive method of subsistence farming to ensure maximum production of a variety of food, which includes rice and other essential cash crops.”
The Ministry of Internal Affairs official also underscored the need for the rehabilitation of all farm-to-market roads in Lofa County, as such initiative, he said, is critical for the achievement of the objectives of the Poverty Reduction Strategy (PRS).