Regional EU Funded Coffee Project Coordinator Engages Stakeholders

The West African Regional Coffee Coordinator for the European Union funded African Caribbean Pacific countries (ACP) Business Friendly Coffee Project, Mr. Lawrence Attipoe has informed stakeholders that plans are underway by the International Trade Center (ITC) with support from the European Union to strengthen the coffee value chain of Liberia.

The coffee project implemented in Bong, Nimba, Lofa, Montserrado and Bomi counties ends in December this year, and there's a report for a four year extension.

The goal of the program is to resuscitate the coffee sector of the country. 

Speaking to journalists over the weekend in Careysburg, Montserrado County, Mr. Attipoe said the ITC will continue to work with the government on the smooth implementation of the coffee project in the country.

During the regional coffee coordinator’s recent visit in Liberia, he had talks with officials of the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA), the Liberia Agriculture Commodity Regulatory Authority (LACRA), and the Central Agriculture Research Institute (CARI). He also met with the leadership of the Farmers Union Network of Liberia, the Coffee Roasters Association and some young people to encourage the youths for the coffee industry.

He said under the program in Liberia, the International Trade Center remains committed to working with the government to get the country back on the global coffee market.

According to him, it interests him to know that the government has identified coffee as one of the priority tree crops to create jobs.

In Liberia, the ACP Business Friendly Coffee project is being implemented by the ITC alongside its local partner Farmer Union Network of Liberia (FUNL) with support from the European Union.

From 2021 to date, farmers under the program in the targeted counties have benefitted from quality training on post-harvest losses and processing as well as the rehabilitation of old coffee farms to improve yield.

However, coffee production in Liberia is still at a very low scale. 

Liberia was an exporter of coffee before its civil war, but very little attention has been given to the coffee sub-sector by the government since the end of the war. 

The nation produces both robusta and Liberica coffee varieties which are attractive on the international market. Liberica coffee is native to Liberia.

Attipoe said, the country will need to produce a volume of coffee to attract the international market.

He mentioned that coffee is in demand on the global market and so countries under the program stand a better chance to generate more revenues from coffee. 

During Attipoe’s meeting with officials of the Liberian government in the coffee sub-sector, he promised the ITC unwavering commitment to help farmers improve incomes.

“Our purpose of coming to Liberia is to engage the stakeholders about support for coffee. We shared with them the knowledge and skills that we have acquired from other producing countries and also gained experience on how we can make the coffee project here in Liberia successful,” he said.

Accordingly, he was overwhelmed by the level of reception given by the local stakeholders to collaborate.

“I believe that the government is ready to support the coffee farmers. And the ITC is willing to work with the local stakeholders to make the program a success,” he said.

Attipoe told extension officers under the program that the ITC is going to provide them logistics to enable them to reach the farmers with necessary services.

He said that the ITC will strengthen the extension delivery within the next phase of the program to get farmers to practice coffee agroforestry.

According to him, there is a plan to establish approximately 26 demo plots in the targeted counties to promote the skills of the farmers in coffee agroforestry techniques. 

The Deputy Agriculture Minister for Planning and Development, Mr. David Akoi told the regional coffee coordinator that the new administration of the ministry attached serious importance to the coffee sub sector.

He said that the President of Liberia has mandated the Ministry to make sure that the coffee sub-sector is given full attention.

Minister Akoi said that coffee has again been identified as one of the priority tree crops for the country’s agricultural investment plan but will this time be supported.