Bomi County — In the rolling fields of Bomi County, where vegetables once spoiled on motorbike rides to market, a new story of resilience is unfolding.
Dukuly International Farm, founded by Khalil Dukuly, has become a hub of training, empowerment and hope for Liberia's smallholder farmers. Its impact has now drawn the attention of European Union delegates, who toured the farm and praised its role in strengthening food systems.
"We partnered with Mercy Corps to train 25 farmers from around the county," Dukuly said, gesturing toward rows of peppers and watermelons.
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"We gave them our tools, our seeds, and showed them how to manage their farms. Today, those farmers are not just producing for themselves, they are giving seeds to others."
That ripple effect has grown dramatically. What began with 25 farmers has now reached 253 across Bomi, the farm has also touched bases in Gbarpolu, Margibi, Grand Cape Mount and Montserrado Counties.
The training, sponsored by Sweden through Mercy Corps PROJECTIV, emphasizes practical skills, transplantation, pest control, fertilizing and insists on followup visits.
"It is always important to go and see how they are doing," Dukuly explained. "If they go back to traditional ways and it fails, that hurts my reputation and the trust of invest for the good outcome and results."
For farmers like Margaret NigbaGayedgu who is the CEO for Her Voice Agriculture Farm, the training has been transformative. "We didn't just go through the training," she told delegates.
"Through Dukuly Farm we were able to establish market linkage. We can show testimonies from our farms, from our produce. Giving us technical capacity means we can sustain ourselves even after Mercy Corps leaves."
She added, "Doing farming in Liberia looks simple to people, but it's not simple. Without technical skills, you can bring all your resources and still fail. With skills, we can succeed."
NigbaGayedgu's words echoed across the gathering, underscoring the human dimension of Dukuly's work. Farmers are not only learning techniques but also building confidence to sustain their livelihoods.
Mercy Corps has delivered impactful training through the upskilling of young farmers in vegetable production.
The sixmonth program, concluded in July 2025, equipped 25 participants including women with practical knowledge in Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) focused on vegetable cultivation.
Training modules covered land preparation, seedling production, transplanting techniques, crop management, integrated pest management, and postharvest handling.
These components are critical for boosting productivity and reducing postharvest losses, which remain a major bottleneck in Liberia's horticulture sector.
Mercy Crops Liberia, Program Compliance, Rose Blidi Kansuah explained why Dukuly was chosen as a partner.
"Bomi County is one of the places people usually refuse to work with because of the mindset that farmers are not interested," she said. "But Dukuly stood out as a Liberian stakeholder committed to transforming the ecosystem. We designed the program with him to build skills, market linkages, and input supply," she explained
Kansuah emphasized the systemic approach: "We don't just train farmers and leave them. Dukuly was set up as a hub to support the community. He provides seeds, fertilizer, and extension services. That's why we've been able to reach 253 farmers and expand beyond Bomi."
Her remarks highlighted the philosophy behind Mercy Corps' Market Systems Development program: build resilience by strengthening local actors rather than imposing external solutions.
Dukuly admitted his early mistake was focusing on production without a market. "We harvested up to 5,000 watermelons per day, but we couldn't sell them," he said. He added Spoilage and poor roads crippled smallholders.
"We took ten bags of eggplants to Duala Market, but the transport cost was the same as the selling price. The eggplants spoiled."
Today, the farm supplies Bea Mountain Mining Company, Harbel Supermarket, Royal Hotel, and Mamba Point Hotel, bypassing traditional markets. "Now everything we harvest goes straight to buyers," Dukuly said.
The farm has also opened a vegetable store in Monrovia, and the government plans a postharvest warehouse to reduce spoilage. This shift from surplus to supply illustrates how market linkages can transform livelihoods. Farmers who once struggled to sell their produce now have direct access to buyers, stabilizing income and reducing waste.
However, while vegetable growers praised training and market linkages, livestock farmers in Bomi voiced frustrations that their sector. They appealed for attention, noting that poultry, goats, and cattle face challenges of feed shortages, veterinary care, and poor market access.
"We see the support going to vegetable farmers, but livestock farmers are struggling," one farmer explained. Feed is expensive, and we don't have storage or processing facilities."
The visit by EU delegates underscored the farm's growing reputation. Karl Backéus, Sweden's Ambassador to Liberia, told farmers.
"Seeing the work you do here, seeing all of the local produce, is really encouraging. Hearing your testimony is also very encouraging. At some point this project will end, but the skills you've gained will remain."
Jeroen Witkamp, Head of Cooperation for the EU Delegation to Liberia, added: "It's extremely impressive what you're doing here. There is a Team
Europe initiative on food systems, and what you've built fits directly into that vision." Their remarks carried weight. In a year of global upheaval, when aid cuts and escalating crises threaten progress, the resilience of Bomi's farmers offered a hopeful counternarrative.
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Mercy Corps notes that in a year of global upheaval, communities across Bomi and beyond show remarkable resilience. Farmers are sustaining food security, and communities are adapting.
Globally, Mercy Corps teams reach 37 million people in over 35 countries with clean water, emergency relief, and pathways to recovery. But aid cuts and escalating crises make this work more urgent than ever.
The visit to Dukuly Farm was part of a broader EU tour of projects in Grand Cape Mount, highlighting the importance of local partnerships in sustaining food systems.
For Dukuly, the recognition is validation of a model rooted in empowerment. "Even if farmers don't have modern equipment, they can still organize their planting and get results," he said. "The end result must always be productivity."
"Whatever support has been given to us as farmers, there is still more to do," NigbaGayetyu said. "We are ready and prepared to do more."
Kansuah echoed that sentiment, "The more we can grow ideas and principles around improving the system, the more resilient farmers will be. Dukuly has shown that local leadership can drive change."
The story of Dukuly Farm is more than a tale of seeds and soil. It is about resilience in the face of hardship, about communities adapting, and about international partnerships that recognize local ingenuity.
