A week-long workshop bringing together fifty participants to deliberate on the improvement of Liberia Agriculture Sector is ongoing at the Ministry of Agriculture LIBSUCO office in Gardnerville.

The workshop co-named Liberia Agriculture Sector Rehabilitation Project is the collaborative efforts of the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), and the African Development Bank (AfDB), in managing, developing as well as improving the agricultural sector of Liberia in all aspects.

Agriculture Minister, Dr. Florence A. Chenoweth, welcoming guests and participants at the launching program said she was especially happy to see IFAD’s support.

  “I will tell you why I am happy with IFAD” she told her audience.  She went to say, “I started with IFAD from the time the concept of the International Fund for Agricultural Development was conceived”. 

She disclosed that her first World Food Conference was in 1973 – 1974, when she represented Liberia at that conference where the idea of WFP and IFAD was put into focus.

Minister Chenoweth said she was the first Liberian to serve on the IFAD Board of Director for a five year term, stressing that IFAD, FAO and WFP are all collaborating Partners of the Ministry of Agriculture and should closely work together in achieving one goal.

As for his part, Mr. Rogers Lubunga, Task Manager of the African Development Bank, who has been leading the team in crafting the project document since September 2008, said, “US $12.5M is contributed by the African Development Bank while 3.4M from the International Fund for Agricultural Development.  The recipients are 96,000 rural household dwellers in eight counties.

The targeted counties include Grand Kru, Grand Gedeh, River Gee, Grand Bassa, Grand Cape Mount, Bomi and Maryland. 

According to Mr. Lubunga the project activities will include the rehabilitation of 100km feeder roads, the improvement of water management and agricultural infrastructure as well as the cultivation of 1600 hectares of swamp rice; amongst others.

Also speaking, the Country Program Manager of IFAD, Mr. Hubert Boirard recounted the effort that his organization has made in improving the lives of rural households, such as capacity building of farmers, youth and women.

The workshop which is expected to end March 26, is being attended by more than fifty participants including representatives from agricultural international and national NGOs, agricultural scientists, and county agricultural coordinators, will be benefited by some 9600 rural households.