Liberia: Jica Librice and Agriculture Ministry Brainstorm to Improve Rice Production for Smallholders Project

Monrovia — The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) LibRice and the Ministry of Agriculture on Monday held a one-day strategic workshop to validate the many approaches for Sustainable Lowland Rice Production.

The event that was held at the Ministry of Agriculture conference room seeks to improve Rice production for the Smallholders Project in Liberia.

Katsuyuki YAMAMOTO is the Chief Advisor of JICA LibRice. Speaking at the event, YAMAMOTO told the gathering that the workshop aims to gather feedback on the LibRice Approach and the Technical Handbook, which are the outcomes of our LibRice project.

The LibRice, a joint project between the Ministry of Agriculture and JICA, commenced in 2021 and is scheduled to conclude in May of this year.

According to YAMAMOTO, the project was initiated to address the widening gap between domestic rice supply and demand in Liberia, where around 70% of rice consumption currently relies on imports.

"Over the four-year duration, the first year was dedicated to baseline surveys and situation analysis, while the second to fourth years involved implementation activities," he explained.

The LibRice Approach compiles the outcomes of these activities in a concise and visually engaging format. using diagrams and photos to facilitate understanding, JICA LibRice Chief Advisor said.

"In addition to the LibRice Approach, we are also preparing a project completion report, which will be available for those who wish to explore the details. The LibRice Approach includes an appendix containing the Technical Handbook. This handbook is separately printed and distributed to assist extension officers in guiding farmers on lowland rice cultivation," he said.

Also, at the event, discussions on the Technical Handbook was held with a focus on the contents of the LibRice Approach, which is organized into five chapters.

Also speaking, the Deputy Minister for Technical Services at the Ministry of Agriculture Mr. Solomon C. Hedd-willians praised the project.

According to him, as the government seeks to implement its Agriculture Development Plan, it's a good thing that

JICA LibRice is helping in improving smallholder farmers.

"JICA LibRice is looking at the grassroot strategy. JICA is developing a Handbook that will help farmers. They want to improve farmers' production," Mr. Heddwilliams said.

The Deputy Minister for Technical Services added: "We as a nation, our agricultural plan is addressing food crops. We are looking at the value chains. There is a high labor cost but we want to break that chain. Farmers will be given the right tools."

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