The Government of Liberia has strengthened the Ministry of Agriculture's field operations with the distribution of 20 new Toyota Hilux pickup trucks and 36 Yamaha AG motorbikes to agriculture officers across the country's 15 counties.
Minister of Agriculture Dr. J. Alexander Nuetah officially turned over the vehicles and motorbikes to County Agriculture Coordinators (CACs) and District Agriculture Officers (DAOs) during a ceremony held Tuesday at the Ministry's Project Management Unit in Gardnersville.
The intervention is aimed at improving the ability of agriculture officers to reach farmers, monitor agricultural activities and provide extension services in rural communities.
The distribution forms part of the Boakai administration's implementation of the ARREST Agenda, which identifies agriculture as a key sector for economic transformation, food security and job creation.
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For years, agriculture extension officers have faced transportation and logistical challenges that limited their ability to regularly reach farming communities.
With the new fleet, the Ministry expects to improve field supervision, farmer engagement, disease monitoring and the delivery of technical assistance to agricultural producers.
20 Pickups Distributed
Under the distribution arrangement, each of Liberia's 15 County Agriculture Coordinators will receive a pickup truck.
Two additional pickups will be assigned to Regional Agriculture Coordinators, while three will support critical technical divisions at the Ministry's central level.
The 36 Yamaha AG motorbikes will be distributed to District Agriculture Officers, providing frontline extension personnel with transportation suited to rural roads and farming communities.
Minister Nuetah stressed that the vehicles are intended primarily for official duties and must remain in the counties where they are assigned.
"The car must be in the county to do our job," Nuetah said, urging officers to use the resources to reach farmers and improve agricultural service delivery.
He told the agriculture officers that the new equipment comes with greater responsibility.
"We are empowering you to perform and take on the responsibility to make agriculture work for our people. You are expected to go where the farmers are and help them succeed," he said.
Fleet Funded Through National Budget
Minister Nuetah disclosed that the entire fleet was procured through the 2026 National Budget.
The investment represents a move by the government to strengthen the Ministry's own operational capacity and reduce the logistical limitations that have affected agricultural extension activities.
The minister said providing transportation is necessary to ensure that government agricultural programs reach farmers beyond Monrovia.
The new vehicles are expected to support officers in monitoring farms, responding to agricultural challenges, providing technical advice and following up on government-supported agricultural projects.
County Offices to Be Rehabilitated
The government is also planning to improve the physical infrastructure of the Ministry's county offices.
Minister Nuetah announced that rehabilitation of county agriculture offices will begin with Margibi and Montserrado counties.
At least seven county offices are expected to be fully rehabilitated and equipped before the end of the year.
The combined investment in transportation and office infrastructure is intended to strengthen the Ministry's presence in rural Liberia and improve the working environment for agriculture personnel.
Ministry Officials Welcome Intervention
Deputy Minister for Research and Extension, Hon. Moses Gbanyan, welcomed the distribution, recalling his own experience as an agriculture technician.
"Hon. Minister, we are grateful to you for this donation. I worked here before becoming a minister. For almost ten years we have not seen what you and your team did today," Gbanyan said.
Madam Nounou Sharty, County Agriculture Coordinator for Grand Gedeh County and chairperson of the CACs, also praised the intervention on behalf of the coordinators.
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She described the provision of the vehicles and motorbikes as a transformation within the Ministry and pledged the officers' commitment to supporting the government's agricultural agenda.
Madam Zipporah C. Page, Regional Agriculture Coordinator for Region Three, commended the Ministry's leadership, describing the intervention as evidence of what she called "vision and farsightedness."
She said rural farmers have long awaited stronger government support and a more visible agricultural extension system.
The government's latest investment comes as Liberia seeks to increase domestic food production, reduce dependence on imported food and strengthen food security.
With 20 pickups and 36 motorbikes now being deployed to agriculture officers, the Ministry of Agriculture is expected to have greater capacity to move personnel and services from central offices to farming communities across the country.
The effectiveness of the investment, however, will depend on how well the vehicles and motorbikes are maintained, managed and used to deliver services directly to Liberia's farmers.
