The Government of Liberia, through the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning (MFDP), has signed a US$10 million grant from the African Development Bank (AfDB).
The grant is part of additional financing to the Global Agriculture and Food Security Program (GAFSP) to enhance Liberia's Smallholder Agriculture Development for Food and Nutrition Security project. This significant funding boost aims to expand the project's scope and amplify its impact in the country.
Speaking at the signing, the African Development Bank Country Manager for Liberia, Benedict S. Kanu, commended the Liberian Government for what he termed an "excellent and growing partnership" with the AfDB since 1962. Mr. Kanu referred to Liberia's pivotal role in the formation of the bank.
Mr. Kanu asserted that providing an additional grant to the Smallholder Agriculture Development for Food and Nutrition Security (SADFONS) is aligned with the objectives of the Liberians Feed Yourself Agenda, also known as the National Agriculture Development Plan (NADP) 2024-2030.
For his part, Acting Finance Minister Mr. Anthony Myers said that Liberia is in the "DNA" of the AfDB and vice-versa for many historical reasons cited by the Bank's Country Manager for Liberia.
Minister Myers pointed out that the National Agriculture Plan has been launched, and it will be integrated into the President's ARREST Agenda.
He disclosed that the AfDB and other external partners will have a greater impact on the economy and society if interventions, whether financial or other resources, are linked to the development plan adopted by Liberia.
Commenting on the project's significance, he said that in the past, going back decades, the emphasis in agriculture, especially from partners, was geared towards export production and cash crops were the emphasis.
"So you see, across the country, farmland has been converted to cropland and cash-crop lands. Shifting agriculture has been the country's problem in producing food, so the spaces for farmers have been reduced, little farmlands have been left, due to cocoa, coffee, or rubber", he said.
He highlighted that the resources to finance all imports that Liberia cannot produce to keep prices low are being used to fund food imports, thereby raising all goods across the board.
He said that as population increases, community and farmland size increases, and competition for the ever-reducing farmland increases to the extent that violence often erupts between families and, in some cases, between counties.
He furthered that: "So shifting the emphasis from the intervention in cash crop, you are not neglecting it, but broadening the envelop intervention to emphasize food crop production to diversify the dinner table and make it right for other commodities.
The primary objective of the project is to bolster food and nutrition security while reducing poverty among targeted rural populations in Liberia.
This will be achieved by increasing agricultural production and productivity among smallholder farmers, with a particular focus on key food crops such as rice, cassava, and vegetables.
The project will also work to improve value addition, market access, and income for smallholders, while strengthening the capacities of government institutions, farmers, and producer organizations.
Liberia has recently faced challenges due to rising prices for imported agricultural inputs, increased energy costs, and disruptions in the fertilizer sector.
These factors have driven up food prices, making it crucial for food import-dependent countries like Liberia to enhance local food production to safeguard food and nutrition security.
The initial funding for the project was secured in June 2021, aiming to raise the productivity of rice and cassava to 3.5 metric tons per hectare and 25 metric tons per hectare, respectively.
The new funding will extend support to approximately 18,260 additional households, complementing the existing 11,740 households, and will also benefit 15,000 students through the home-grown school feeding activities program.
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This project will focus on sustainable crop production and intensification by providing breeder seeds, foundation seeds, and certified seeds for farmers cultivating 7,000 hectares of land. It will also enhance value addition and market access by establishing six post-harvest facilities for primary cassava and rice processing, supported by four aggregation centers located near these processing facilities.
Additional expected outcomes include strengthening participatory farmer advisory services, enhancing national food safety and security, and boosting the capacity of the Ministry of Agriculture in investment planning and implementation.
The total project cost is estimated at $19.08 million, with contributions of $18.2 million from GAFSP, $429,027 from the African Development Fund, and $453,000 from the Liberian government.
This project aligns with the government's priorities to improve food security, advance agricultural transformation, and promote economic prosperity for all.
