Pres. Weah Meets with UAE Delegation over Liberia’s Efficiency in Rice Production
MONROVIA – President George Weah has held a day-long meeting with a delegation from the United Emirates (UAE) to foster partnership specifically, within the agriculture sector.
Report by M. Dennise Nimpson, Contributor
The President played host to technicians from the UAE at the Executive Mansion on Tuesday. In attendance were top officials of government including Agriculture Minister, Jeannie Cooper and the National Port Authority Managing Director, Bill Twehway to discuss efficiency in the production of Liberia’s staple food.
Speaking after the closed-door meeting, the NPA Managing Director disclosed that the aim is to ensure Liberia becomes an exporter of rice and not only an importer.
“Instead of us importing rice now, Liberia will be a country that will be exporting rice to neighboring countries and other countries around the world,” he said.
Mr. Twehway who heads the NPA explained that talks started back in 2019, but President Weah during his visit to the UAE recently held a discussion to invest in agriculture, specifically rice production which would alleviate rice shortages across the country.
“This is a discussion that started in 2019, about 15 persons from the UAE were here in 2019. It’s a continuation but this time around they have principally come because the president has an interest in feeding his people,” Twehway emphasized
The NPA Managing Director noted during the delegation’s previous visit to Liberia which was comprised of 15 people they tour the Freeport of Monrovia and the Port of Buchannan as one of the key players in the partnership.
According to him, the ports would be used as the major channel through which Liberia would have to export rice to neighboring countries and other parts of the world.
“In 2019, they visited the Freeport of Monrovia and the port of Buchanan so this time around the port is involved because the port will be the conduit through which rice exportation will happen in Liberia,” he said.
