Monrovia — The Community of Hope Agriculture Project (CHAP), under the National Executing Entity (NEE-CHAP), is spearheading the Scaling up of Climate Resilient Rice Production Project organized by the Rice Production Improvement Consortium of West Africa (RICOWAS) in Liberia. This initiative, funded by the Adaptation Fund through the Sahara and Sahel Observatory (OSS), aims to boost rice production and enhance food security.
From September 2 to 23, 2024, CHAP conducted a Training of Trainers (TOT) workshop organized by RICOWAS across six project zones in Liberia, involving 90 lead farmers and extension staff from the Ministry of Agriculture. The training covered various aspects of Climate Resilient Rice Production (CRRP), including the System of Rice Intensification (SRI), farm planning, gender considerations, nursery management, documentation, GPS usage, transplanting techniques, and farm management.
The trained farmers are expected to educate other farmers in their counties on the SRI/CRRP method, which capitalizes on lowland farming to increase rice production and bolster food security.
The project, supported by The Adaptation Fund and managed by the Organization for Sustainable Solutions (OSS), operates under the supervision of the Government of Liberia through the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Ministry of Agriculture and Zonal Development (MOAZ). It spans 13 West African nations, focusing on increasing climate resilience and rice production for smallholder farmers.
In Liberia, RICOWAS targets 13,620 farmers across 2,641 hectares in six project zones. The primary goal is to enhance the climate resilience of rice systems and improve production. Training sessions, including a TOT in Montserrado County and five other project zones, focus on SRI and CRRP, aiming to strengthen the skills of extension service providers and farmers.
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The training covered significant ground, including in Bong County with 2,000 farmers benefiting from 500 hectares, and Lofa County with 4,000 farmers benefiting from 700 hectares. Other counties such as Bomi, Nimba, Grand Gedeh, and Montserrado also saw substantial farmer participation and land coverage.
Selection criteria for trainers include residency in project zones, willingness to train others, literacy, active involvement in lowland rice farming or extension services, and readiness to implement CRRP/SRI training.
Farmers across six Liberian counties have expressed immense satisfaction following the RICOWAS and CHAP workshop, describing the SRI/CRRP technique as a revolutionary approach to their farming practices. They committed to training fellow farmers in their communities on this method, aiming to enhance rice production and strengthen the agricultural sector in Liberia. Further training sessions from RICOWAS and CHAP are eagerly anticipated by the farming community.
The project is also supported by the Government of Liberia, the Ministry of Agriculture, the Environmental Protection Agency, Cornell University, INER-Mali, and CHAP. It aims to improve lowland rice farming and bolster local agricultural practices across 13 West African countries.
