By Bill W. Cooper
Agriculture Minister Alexander Nuetah has threatened to take legal action against farmers who failed to develop their respective hectares of land after receiving funds from the government through the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA).
Minister Nuetah also described the action as “corruption and negligence” on the part of those farmers who have received financial assistance but have not made progress in cultivating their land.
He warned, “The government has invested significant resources into agriculture, providing funds to farmers to develop their land. However, it has come to our attention that some individuals are misusing these funds or failing to utilize the land altogether.”
“And let me sound this caveat that if these farmers do not comply with the terms of their agreements, which some of them have already received portion of the funds in the tune of US$2,500 from the US$5,000 promised, we will not hesitate to take legal action against them,” Nuetah reiterated.
The Minister spoke recently, when he, along with Bong County Senator, Prince Moyee and Representative, Foday Fahnbulleh launched the harvesting of a 9,800 hectares of rice farm in Fuamah District, Lower Bong County.
The lowland rice project, funded by the MOA under its World Bank and International Fund for Agriculture Development (IFAD) projects, is owned by the Fuamah District Multipurpose Cooperative Society in Bong Mines.
However, the Minister’s remarks come in the wake of increasing concerns about food security in Liberia, a country that has struggled with agricultural productivity for decades, especially since the end of the Civil war.
But Minister Nuetah further emphasized that the government is committed to ensuring that those lands are used effectively to boost local food production and reduce reliance on imported goods, especially the country staple food (rice).
Minister Nuetah also revealed that the government is optimistic about the prospects of locally produced rice hitting the Liberian market by 2025, thus reducing the importation of rice into the country by 75 to 80 percent before the end of the Joseph Boakai’s government.
He said, “We are working diligently to enhance our agricultural capabilities, and we believe that with the right investments and commitment from our farmers, we can achieve self-sufficiency in rice production.”
“We are not just here to threaten legal action; we are here to support our farmers and ensure that they have the tools they need to succeed, but also, these farmers must be accountable and transparent in their workings,” he added.
The Minister also promised to immediately construct a temporary warehouse to store the harvest to reduce post-harvest losses, disclosing that a plan is underway to construct a processing center and install an irrigation system to enable the farmers to grow rice throughout the year.
“We are working with the WFP to construct a warehouse to temporarily store the rice that will be later bought from you to process and to put it on the local market,” Minister Nuetah assured.
In separate remarks, Senator Moyee and Rep. Fahnbulleh launched the harvest, and noted that they were impressed with the level of work done and promised to work with their colleagues to ensure that the budget for agriculture is increased.
Moyee then praised the Minister for the support provided to the farmers, describing the effort as unprecedented, and added, “I pledged my fullest support to work with my colleagues to ensure a better appropriation for agriculture in the National budget.”
Rep. Fahnbulleh, for his part, further thanked the Ministry for supporting farmers in his district and promised to work with the Ministry to mobilize the farmers for agriculture ventures.
