By Stephen N. Tokpah
Agriculture Minister Alexander Nuetah reveals that in the next five years, the government plans to cultivate 50,000 hectares of lowland rice farms in the country.
President Joseph Boakai wants to see Liberians own rice on the market, ‘not the want we are buying in the market, but the President will not grow it, and I will not grow it. You will have to grow it as a farmers’
He emphasized that the benefits Liberian farmers will get in growing their own rice and marketing it is that they will make money, something he believes will better their lives and send their children to school.
He said in line with the agricultural development pillar of the ARREST Agenda led by President Boakai unveiled the National Agriculture Development Plan (NADP) 2024-2030.
The plan underscored the government’s commitment to revolutionize the agricultural sector and promote self-sufficiency in food production.
Dr. Nuetah expressed the government’s optimism about the transformative potential of the NADP.
He stressed that the government, a few months back, launched the “Liberians feed yourselves agenda,” a six-year agricultural development policy initiative that charts a new course for the country’s agricultural future.
With a focus on innovative strategies, modern technologies, and comprehensive investments, the NADP aims to reinvigorate Liberia’s agricultural sector and reduce the nation’s dependence on food imports.
“Ensuring food security for our people is paramount, especially in the face of climate change and economic challenges. The NADP is not just a plan but a game changer, a roadmap to a more secure and sustainable future built on a thriving agricultural sector,” Minister Nuetah noted.
The Liberian Agriculture Minister pointed to the NADP as a comprehensive policy framework designed to harness Liberia’s abundant agricultural potential and transition from subsistence farming to large-scale, sustainable, mechanized agriculture.
Dr. Alexander Nuetah said the plan places a strong emphasis on empowering farmers, promoting modern agricultural technologies, and creating opportunities for large-scale cooperative farms.
He furthered that the plan seeks to engage stakeholders across the agricultural sector, including farmers, agro-businesses, researchers, and policymakers, to drive collective action and achieve its ambitious targets.
Dr. Nuetah urged all Liberians to embrace the call to revolutionize agriculture, emphasizing that a flourishing agricultural sector would yield numerous benefits for the nation, including improved food security, economic growth, and reduced poverty.
He emphasized, “When agriculture flourishes in Liberia, the entire nation flourishes. No one will go to bed on an empty stomach; and we will not have to spend millions of dollars on importing rice.”
The Minister noted that the NADP signals a pivotal moment in Liberia’s pursuit of agricultural transformation, and the government is poised to provide the necessary resources, infrastructure, and support to ensure the plan’s success.
Minister Nuetah, at the same time, encouraged citizens to take agriculture seriously.
He disclosed that before the war, Bong County grew more cocoa and coffee, but as he drove along the road in Panta and Zota District 4, he didn’t see any cocoa and coffee farms, adding “we need to go back to planning cocoa and coffee.”
He assured the citizens that the government will support farmers who want to plan cocoa or coffee.
He revealed that there’s a project at the Center Agricultural Research Institute (CARI) that’s developing cocoa and coffee seeds, noting “I want Bong County farmers to be the first to benefit from the project.”
Minister Nuetah made the statement when he visited the collective impact Liberia Micro-farm zone and Panta Pride an Agriculture groups in Zota and Panta administrative Districts, Bong County.
