Published: March 6, 2025
GBARNGA – As cassava cements its place as Liberia’s second staple food, the Research Officer for Roots and Tubers at the Central Agricultural Research Institute (CARI), Mark Yarnlay, is urging the National Legislature to pass a bill aimed at increasing cassava production.
Yarnlay proposed that the legislation include provisions ensuring that smallholder farmers cultivating cassava receive at least 10 percent in direct benefits, a move he believes will boost their productivity and enhance the sector’s growth.
Speaking to our Bong County correspondent on Wednesday, Yarnlay stressed that increased investment in cassava farming would help alleviate the challenges faced by farmers and cooperatives across Liberia.
He cited Nigeria as an example, noting that the country has successfully enacted laws that add value to cassava, significantly benefiting farmers through regulated percentage-based incentives.
“When this bill is passed, it will have a profound impact on our economy while also empowering smallholder cassava farmers,” Yarnlay stated.
He criticized Liberia’s continued reliance on wheat flour imports, arguing that cassava could be refined into wheat flour, reducing dependence on foreign imports and even positioning Liberia as an exporter.
Amid growing concerns over climate change, the agricultural expert highlighted cassava’s resilience, emphasizing its ability to withstand changing weather patterns, drought, and poor soil conditions—qualities that make it a viable alternative to rice.
Yarnlay urged the government to shift focus from rice cultivation to cassava farming, citing Liberia’s longstanding struggle with achieving self-sufficiency in rice production. Instead of persisting with rice farming, he recommended investing in cassava while continuing rice imports to conserve national resources.
“Adam Smith said, ‘What you are inefficient at producing, don’t produce it.’ If we acknowledge that rice has been a challenge for us, let’s prioritize cassava instead,” he asserted.
Expressing disappointment over the lack of support for cassava farmers, Yarnlay lamented that insufficient resources and policies have hindered their ability to scale up production.
He called on citizens of Bong County, particularly cassava farmers, to rally their lawmakers in support of the proposed bill, emphasizing that it would serve the greater good of the nation.
According to OEC World, Liberia exported $1.04 million worth of wheat in 2022, ranking as the 66th largest wheat exporter globally.
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