Monrovia — The World Bank Program Implementation Unit (WB-PIU) at the Program Management Unit (PMU) of the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) of Liberia has commenced a thirteen-day assessment mission to Bomi, Bong, Lofa, Nimba, and Grand Gedeh counties.
The primary objective of the mission begins on 18 April 2023, is to conduct an assessment of available land for the construction of an agriculture mechanization service center and determine the needs of major agri-markets identified in the Gath-Losai study along the Ganta-Zwedru corridor.
The Gath-Losai study was an agricultural needs assessment conducted for the modernization of agri-markets recently via consultancy for the Rural Economic Transformation Project (RETRAP) of the Ministry of Agriculture with support from the World Bank.
The mission aims to ensure suitability for development while considering environmental and social risks and developing strategies to mitigate risks and challenges in the future.
The Government of Liberia has received additional funding through the World Bank-funded Rural Economic Transformation Project (RETRAP) to respond to the severe food and nutrition crisis in the country.
This support is to preserve and strengthen the productive capacity of farming households to enable continued and expanded production of key staple foods, both for their consumption and the market. It will facilitate farmers' access to small-scale mechanization, post-harvest equipment, and means of transport.
The PMU of the Ministry of Agriculture believes that the development of agriculture mechanization service centers and agri-markets in Liberia will go a long way in increasing the productivity of farming households and improving food security in the country.
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With this mission, the PMU is taking an important step towards realizing the goal of the RETRAP project, which is to boost the agriculture sector and promote economic transformation in Liberia.
Speaking about the mission, the Operations Manager of RETRAP, Tarnue Jeke said, "We are excited about this assessment mission, which we believe will help us identify the needs of our farming communities and develop strategies to meet those needs. We are confident that the development of agriculture mechanization service centers and agri-markets will not only improve the productivity of our farmers but also contribute to the overall economic development of Liberia."
The team comprises several professionals and experts including M & E specialists, Agriculture engineers, agronomists, Agribusiness specialists, Crop Development specialists, and Agriculture Machinery specialists, among others.
Liberia is a country highly dependent on food imports and commodity exports. It is particularly vulnerable to shortages of food and fuel commodities. The recent crisis between Russia and Ukraine has impacted access to food and fuel as Liberia is a net importer of these commodities and has brought severe food and nutrition crises.
