Working with the World Bank, IFAD, AfDB and FAO, the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) contributes to Government’s priorities of rice self-sufficiency, crop diversification, job and wealth creation, and rural poverty reduction in Liberia, as population grows.
Just as the global population is growing, so too is the population of the Republic of Liberia, meaning the demand for food and other agricultural products is increasing, which puts a strain on the finite resources available to a country like Liberia. In Liberia as in many other regions of Africa, water quality and scarcity are problems that impact farming in general including livestock production and irrigation.
For over a decade (from 2010 – 2020), Liberia received in both loans and grants about eight hundred million United States dollars for agriculture development and production, but the impact was never felt until most recently when President Joseph Nyuma Boakai assumed the country’s leadership with his ARREST Agenda.
With the support of the World Bank country office in Liberia, IFAD country office in Liberia, the African Development Bank Group country office in Liberia, the technical assistance of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) country office in Liberia, and the leadership of Liberia’s Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, J. Alexander Nuetah, PhD., the country’s prospect for self-sufficiency in food security and agriculture development is becoming higher and promising.
President Boakai shakes hands with the influential FAO’s Representative to Liberia, Ms. Bintia Stephen Tchicaya during FAO Conference in Rome, Italy
In July 2024, the Ministry of Agriculture working with its various international partners and the central government of Liberia developed and launched the National Agriculture Development Plan (NADP) 2024 -2030 dubbed “Liberians Feed Self Plan” to boost agricultural development in the country.
The development and launch of the NADP marked a historic moment for the agricultural development pillar of the ARREST (Agriculture, Roads, Rule of Law, Education, Sanitation, Tourism) Agenda for the country.
As part of his vision and ministerial leadership strategy, Minister Nuetah has and continues to advance the importance of effective coordination in agriculture development in the country, ensuring that all partners engaged in agriculture in the country adhere to the NADP mission, goals and objectives., arguing, “our work and decisions must be data driven, sound, and relevant to the needs of the Liberian people we serve.”
There are more than ten international organizations in Liberia engaged in agricultural activities, directly and indirectly but the lack of effective coordination and proper oversight has always been an issue and weakness, and a room for linkages in the past.
Currently, the ministry has also prioritized agriculture value chain development projects to ensure food security, economic growth, wealth creation, and poverty reduction.
MOA Supports Paddy Farmers in Lofa County
Working with international partners such as the World Bank, IFAD, AfDB, FAO and others, the Ministry of Agriculture has increased the production and improved the marketing of local Liberian rice, palm oil, vegetables and other agricultural products, contributing to the Government’s priorities of rice self-sufficiency, crop diversification and rural poverty reduction. Details of the ministry’s activities are captured on Home | Ministry of Agriculture (moa.gov.lr).
The ministry is aligned with President Boakai’s vision and aspirations. During the launch of the NADP, the President urged all Liberians to embrace the call to revolutionize agriculture. He emphasized that a flourishing agricultural sector would yield numerous benefits for the nation, including improved food security, economic growth, and reduced poverty.
H. E. President Joseph Nyuma Boakai (left) and Minister J. Alexander Nuetah, Ph.D. in Rome for UN-FAO Conference in October 2024
“When agriculture flourishes in Liberia, the entire nation flourishes. No one goes to bed on an empty stomach; poverty diminishes, crime goes down, peace reigns; the Lone Star shines, and we all, with one accord, celebrate the glittering joy and happiness in the bright shining Lone Star,” the president maintained.
