Agriculture Minister Nuetah Urges Local and International Agricultural Partners to Expand Beyond Experimental Programs in Liberia

Monrovia – Agriculture Minister Alexander Nuetah spoke at the third joint coordinating committee meeting with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)

By Francis G. Boayue

MONROVIA- Liberia’s Agriculture Minister, Hon. Alexander Nuetah, is admonishing local and international agricultural partners to go beyond just experimental agricultural programs to full domestic productions through local farmers across the country.

Minister Nuetah, on Wednesday (June 12, 2024), speaking at the third joint coordinating committee meeting with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) on ways to improve the production of rice for smallholders’ project (JICA-LibRice), said it is time that Liberia embarks on self-sufficiency in rice production and other agricultural productions that will aid the country to input food and remain stable in food production.

According to Minister Nuetah, over the years Liberia has benefited from rice coming from Japan and also helping our farmers, it’s about time that we have a different dimensional approach to move beyond just Japan supporting Liberian farmers on an experimental plus to a greater extent of more productions of rice locally as it remains Liberia’s stable consumption.

“In Liberia, rice remains our most important commodity in our agriculture sector, not just for food security but also for political reasons because if rice is a shortage in Liberia, then there is political tension that is why President Boakai has made it clear that we need to reduce our dependence on importation and extended supply of rice and expand in production domestically to become self-sufficient,” Agriculture Minister Alexander Nuetah said.

Minister Nuetah further applauded JICA for its efforts however encouraged the company to go beyond just teaching local farmers how to grow food and assist them in full domestic food production for Liberia’s self-sufficiency in food production.

“JICA which is a major supporter in the rice sector, we are now going to sit with them to find a way to skill-out their support to Liberia beyond the experimental plus that Liberia has been experiencing right now in the rice sector and expand more on rice production of local farmers,” Minister Nuetah added.

The JICA’s project is a four year-project operating in Bong County that aims at assisting local farmers who are mainly into domestic rice production.

Also speaking, the Chief Advisor on Rice Cultivation Technique at the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Katsuyuki Yamamoto reaffirmed his organization’s commitment to supporting Liberian local farmers for Liberia’s self-sufficiency in food production.

“Today, we have come to reaffirm our support to working along with the Liberian government to ensure the needs of local farmers are met through providing the necessary resources required to give local farmers the necessary tools to grow more food, particularly rice, which is their stable food,” Katsuyuki Yamamoto the Chief Advisor on Rice Cultivation Technique at the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) added.

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