Published: October 22, 2025
LOFA COUNTY — Four young graduates of Lofa County University are transforming local agriculture through their cooperative, Four United Brothers Vegetable, Rice, and Oil Palm Incorporated, producing rice, vegetables, and oil palm on a commercial scale despite poor roads and limited farm equipment.
The group, founded three years ago, has emerged as one of Lofa County’s most ambitious youth-led agribusinesses, aiming to boost local food production and reduce reliance on imported staples.
“Since we founded this agriculture group, we’ve been producing watermelon, corn, rice, and oil palm on a large scale,” said Christopher Mawolo, the cooperative’s chief executive officer, during an interview on one of their farms in Kolahun District. “We are even producing a special type of rice for diabetic patients, something unique to this region.”
From Classroom to Commercial Farming
The idea for the cooperative was born after Mawolo and his colleagues graduated from the university’s Department of Agriculture and struggled to find employment. Instead of waiting for jobs, they turned to the land.
“After graduation, when we couldn’t find decent jobs, I mobilized a few of my colleagues,” Mawolo explained. “We started with watermelon in Voinjama, and the harvest was so good that we supplied the entire city and even sent some to Monrovia.”
Encouraged by their success, the group expanded into corn production the following year — earning recognition from Lofa’s agricultural coordinator for the scale and quality of their yields.
With support from a loan from the Kolahun Rural Community Bank, the team has since scaled up into lowland rice cultivation and oil palm production, further strengthening their footprint in Lofa’s agricultural economy.
Challenges in Reaching Markets
Despite their achievements, the cooperative continues to struggle with inadequate logistics and infrastructure, particularly poor road conditions and the lack of farm equipment.
“The road to our farm is terrible,” Mawolo said. “We need a pickup truck, tractors for harvesting, rain boots, additional cutlasses, and good storage facilities. If the Ministry of Agriculture and our partners can help us with these tools, we’ll take our products from the farm to the market more easily.”
The cooperative’s biggest challenge, he noted, is not production but transport and storage — factors that often cause post-harvest losses.
Vision: Feeding Liberia and Empowering Rural Youth
Mawolo said the Four United Brothers are driven by a collective vision to make Lofa County, and eventually Liberia, self-sufficient in food production while creating jobs for young people and women in rural communities.
“Our vision is to rescue Lofa County and Liberia from hunger,” he said. “We want to create jobs, train people in smallholder farming, and teach them what to grow, when to plant, and how to farm for better yields.”
The cooperative also provides basic training to young farmers and women interested in agribusiness, focusing on sustainable techniques and market-oriented farming.
“We have the soil, the strength, and the skills,” Mawolo said. “What we need now is support.”
Appeal for Government and Partner Support
Mawolo appealed to the Government of Liberia, the Ministry of Agriculture, and development partners to invest in small agricultural groups that are helping feed local communities.
“We’re recommending that government and NGOs support us with modern equipment and technical help,” he said. “Lofa County is rich in fertile soil, and with the right tools, we can produce enough to sustain the county and contribute to national food security.”
He also stressed the need for better feeder roads and storage facilities, noting that bad road networks make it difficult for farmers to transport crops from remote farms to urban markets.
“You saw the road coming here,” he told reporters. “It’s rough, but we’re determined. All we ask is that government and partners meet us halfway.”
A Growing Model of Youth-Led Agriculture
With membership expanding every farming season, the Four United Brothers Vegetable, Rice, and Oil Palm Incorporated is fast becoming a symbol of Lofa’s agricultural resilience, proof that young Liberians can turn education and teamwork into viable business success.
From modest watermelon fields in Voinjama to thriving rice and oil palm operations in Kolahun, the cooperative’s story is one of innovation, perseverance, and patriotism.
As Mawolo put it, “We’re not just farming to survive, we’re farming to change the future of agriculture in Lofa and Liberia.”
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