BONG COUNTY — The Rice, Cassava, and Vegetables Producers and Processors Union of Liberia, a local farming cooperative, in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture, has launched its harvest for a lowland rice farm located in Gbaylaykpala Town, Jorquelleh Electoral District #3, Bong County.
Supported by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) through the Ministry of Agriculture, this initiative was spearheaded by the local cooperative established by Christ’s Vision International Ministries Church in Gbarnga, Bong County. The cooperative is dedicated to improving agricultural productivity and food security in Bong County and, by extension, the entire country of Liberia.
Rev. James Paye, founder and overseer of Christ’s Vision International Ministries and the Executive Director of the cooperative, urged all Liberians to embrace farming as a pathway to economic growth and development. He reiterated the cooperative’s goal to unify various farming groups to boost food production throughout Liberia, reinforcing the idea that agricultural development is key to the country’s future.
Rev. Paye lauded the Ministry of Agriculture and its partners for their support, noting that through IFAD, farming tools including a power tiller, boots, cutlasses, and some cash were made available to their cooperative in the County.
“The launch of this rice harvest supports the Boakai-Koung administration’s ARREST agenda, a key pillar of President Joseph Boakai’s campaign promises,” the clergyman noted. He emphasized that the initiative is intended to reduce Liberia’s dependence on rice imports by increasing domestic production of the staple crop.
Despite the vast fertile land in Liberia, rice, the country’s staple food, continues to be imported in large quantities, a challenge the Ministry of Agriculture is determined to address through such projects.
According to Rev. Paye, the farm covers 9.6 hectares, equivalent to 24 acres of land, and added, “The rice variety cultivated is a three-month crop.” He revealed that besides the farm in Gbaylaykpala Town, his cooperative has over three lowland rice farms in the County.
Mr. Moses Gbanyan, Deputy Minister for Regional Development, Research, and Extension at the Ministry of Agriculture, expressed his gratitude to the cooperative members for effectively utilizing the support provided by the Ministry, with assistance from IFAD.
He reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to equipping local farmers with major agricultural tools and resources across Liberia as means of boosting the agriculture sector of the country. Minister Gbanyan also disclosed that plans are underway to supply farmers with power tillers, tractors, and other essential farming equipment to enhance productivity, particularly for rice farmers.
Deputy Minister Gbanyan stated his personal commitment to empowering local farmers to produce sufficient food for Liberia, noting that the Ministry, under the leadership of President Joseph Boakai, aims to reduce Liberia’s rice imports by 70 to 80% within the next three years. However, he stressed that achieving this ambitious goal will heavily depend on the willingness of farmers to actively engage in the agricultural process.
Ghemelee N. Keculah, Technical lead for the Building Climate Resilience Project (BCRP), lauded the Executive Director of the Rice, Cassava, and Vegetables Producers and Processors Union of Liberia for the huge initiative in the County. He further pledged BCRP project commitment to working with the cooperative through technical support in buttressing their efforts in providing more lowland farms in the County.
At the launching ceremony of the harvest, Bong County Superintendent, Hawa Lolyah Norris, expressed her excitement about the cooperative’s progress and urged the citizens of Bong County to reclaim the county’s historical status as one of Liberia’s key breadbaskets. Superintendent Norris called on residents to put aside their differences and unite for the common cause of revamping agriculture in the region. Madam Norris also pointed out the importance of agriculture in national development, encouraging local churches and mosques to follow the example set by Christ’s Vision International Ministries Church in Gbarnga by actively participating in similar agricultural initiatives.
The launching ceremony took place over the weekend, on the outskirts of Gbaylaykpala Town, Jorquelleh District #3, Bong County.
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