Liberia: MOA, Partners, Validate Key Policy Documents in Gbarnga
GBARNGA — The Ministry of Agriculture (MOA), in collaboration with its partners, has concluded a crucial two-day field validation exercise in Gbarnga, Bong County.
This validation exercise scrutinized four key policy documents which are significant in directing the government’s investment in agriculture, guiding the involvement of development partners in agriculture development, and underscoring the active involvement of other stakeholders in shaping the country’s agricultural agenda.
At the end of the workshop, Agriculture Minister Dr. J. Alexander Nuetah commended FAO, WFP, IFAD, WFP, the World Bank, USAID, and the AfDB for their invaluable support to the formulation of the policy documents.
He emphasized that the policy documents call for investment priorities, crisis management strategies and enhanced consensus-building towards Liberia’s agricultural transformation through thematic group discussions and stakeholder engagement.
The Minister revealed due consideration was given to the stakeholders’ inputs and that the validated policy documents will now serve as guiding frameworks for Liberia’s agriculture sector.
He added that President Joseph N. Boakai is expected to launch the National Agriculture Development Plan that will last for the next five years.
Meanwhile, Representatives from FAO, IFAD, WFP, USAID and other international partners have reaffirmed their unwavering commitments to supporting the Liberian Government in its endeavors to strengthen the agricultural sector through the NADP and its complementary documents to improve food security in the country and to create more jobs.
Dr. Nuetah appealed to the national legislature to increase the budgetary allotment to the Ministry of Agriculture to fulfill the government’s part in making a specific contribution to the implementation of the proposed NADP to complement the efforts of donors in uplifting the agriculture sector.
The Ministry of Agriculture (MOA), in collaboration with its partners, has concluded a crucial two-day field validation exercise in Gbarnga, Bong County.
This validation exercise scrutinized four key policy documents which are significant in directing the government’s investment in agriculture, guiding the involvement of development partners in agriculture development, and underscoring the active involvement of other stakeholders in shaping the country’s agricultural agenda.
At the end of the workshop, Agriculture Minister Dr. J. Alexander Nuetah commended FAO, WFP, IFAD, WFP, the World Bank, USAID, and the AfDB for their invaluable support to the formulation of the policy documents.
“These documents are poised to make a significant impact in reducing poverty in the agricultural sector,” Dr. Nuetah said.
Dr. Nuetah further appealed to the national legislature to increase the budgetary allotment to the Ministry of Agriculture to support the implementation of the National Agriculture Development plan and other policies.
He said that the government’s contribution toward the strategic plan will complement the efforts of donors in uplifting people from poverty in the agricultural sector of Liberia.
The Liberia Agriculture Minister said the just-ended field validation exercise in Bong County was a continuation of the successful two-day technical validation workshop which was held in Monrovia on May 13 and 14, 2024.
According to him, the exercise allowed stakeholders to review and offer feedback on the policy documents, thereby enhancing comprehension, especially of the new five-year agricultural development plan.
He emphasized that the policy documents call for investment priorities, crisis management strategies and enhanced consensus-building towards Liberia’s agricultural transformation through thematic group discussions and stakeholder engagement.
The Minister revealed due consideration was given to the stakeholders’ inputs and that the validated policy documents will now serve as guiding frameworks for Liberia’s agriculture sector.
He added that President Joseph N. Boakai is expected to launch the National Agriculture Development Plan that will last for the next five years.
Meanwhile, Representatives from FAO, IFAD, WFP, USAID and other international partners have reaffirmed their unwavering commitments to supporting the Liberian Government in its endeavors to strengthen the agricultural sector through the NADP and its complementary documents to improve food security in the country and to create more jobs.
The key documents that were reviewed and validated include The National Agriculture Development Plan (NADP)- The NADP spans 2024 to 2029 and replaces the Liberia Agricultural Sector Investment Plan (LASIP-II). It emphasizes private sector engagement and adopts a value chain approach to stimulate significant growth within the agricultural sector.
Second is the Liberia’s Preparedness Plan for Food Security and Nutrition Crisis (PP FNS)-This plan mobilizes timely resources and actions to prevent and mitigate emerging food and nutrition security crises.
The third area is Zero Post-Harvest Management Strategy-This strategy acknowledges post-harvest losses as a significant hindrance to food production and outlines an integrated approach to addressing them across priority commodity chains.
Last is food Supply Chain Assessment (FSA). The FSA assesses supply chain dynamics within rice and cowpea supply chains and offers recommendations for enhancing supply chain efficiency and resilience.
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