By Bill W. Cooper
The Charge d’Affaires at the United States Embassy in Monrovia has emphasized that the Liberian agriculture sector has the potential to revolutionize the country’s challenged economy.
Acknowledging the importance of the support, Christine Rodriguez asserted that, with the necessary assistance, the agriculture industry can become a formidable force in driving economic growth and development across the country.
“Liberia enjoys a proven comparative and competitive advantage in the agriculture sector because it is blessed with fertile soil and abundant water resources, and this sector is the primary livelihood of over 60 percent of the population and accounts for 36 percent of the economy,” she said.
“The question is how to bring much needed productivity to this very important sector of the Liberian economy. Experience tells us that private sector investment is the key to increased agricultural productivity.”
She made the remarks on Monday, December 4, 2023, during the opening ceremony of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Liberia Agribusiness Pitch Competition at the Bella Casa Hotel in Monrovia.
Over three days, 92 startups and small agribusinesses with the most promising and impactful pitches will compete for 30 grant awards of USD 10,000, USD 25,000, and USD 50,000 to support their market-driven solutions. The pitching entities are drawn from all of Liberia’s 15 counties.
The startups and agribusinesses went through a six-month incubation program with local incubators Technology, Research, Innovation for Business and Education (TRIBE), iCampus, and Educare.
The three were successful applicants from a June 2022 call by USAID, in partnership with ATI, to identify agribusiness incubators to support and scale the growth of the sector through access to technical assistance, mentorship, and co-financing of up to US$50,000.
The 30 pitch competition winners will form the first cohort of the USAID Agribusiness Incubator and Development Activity, which aims to strengthen the commercialization of the agricultural sector, especially for women and youth, by improving investment in and productivity of Liberian agribusinesses.
Ms. Rodriguez closed by sharing that the ATI Activity builds on the co-investment model of past USAID agriculture projects but shifts the focus to a broader range of demand-driven crops. She reiterated that the goal is to help bring increased productivity to Liberia’s agriculture sector, lift farmers out of poverty, ensure increased profits for agri-entrepreneurs, create jobs for youth and women, and increase tax revenues for national priorities.
Earlier, TRIBE CEO, Wainwright Acquoi, expressed his excitement to have had his institution form part of a process to celebrate the innovation and hard work of Liberia’s entrepreneurs in the agriculture sector. According to him, the last six months have been intense, from designing the incubation models to recruiting the participants and working with them, something, he said, exposed him and his team to the deep challenges across Liberia.
He added that these and many more have only renewed their commitment to continue to work in the sector, so that, together, they can find ways to solve these critical issues, with the aim of creating an enabling environment for all Liberians.
Agriculture Minister, Jeanine M. Cooper, thanked the USAID-Liberia and partners for the initiative, which, she said, clearly speaks to the level of work being done in the country’s agriculture sector over the years.
This, she added, is a landmark achievement for her and her team at the level of the Ministry of Aquaculture (MoA) once completed, disclosing her plan of capturing it in her turning over note.
As the incubatees patiently await the completion of the competition, it is important to note that by prioritizing investment and modernization in agriculture, Liberia can harness its vast natural resources, fertile lands, and favorable climate, paving the way for sustainable economic prosperity and self-sufficiency.
The three agribusiness incubators namely TRIBE, iCampus, and Educare are hosting USAID/Liberia, the USAID Africa Trade and Investment activity and over 90 local agribusinesses at pitch competitions to mark the end of their incubation.
The three-day event highlights U.S. government investments being made in Liberia to stimulate agribusinesses, and further trade regionally, on the Continent, and with the United States. 30 grant awards to local agribusinesses will be announced 10 each on each day.
Through the USAID Africa Trade and Investment activity, USAID/Liberia seeks to promote food security and strengthen the commercial agricultural sector, especially for women and youth, through improved agribusiness, climate finance investment, and productivity enhancements of Liberian agribusinesses.
