Liberia Agricultural and Environmental Journalists Network (LAEJN) Promote informed journalism and public engagement on agricultural and environmental nalists Network (LAEJN)
By Ben TC Brooks
River Gee County, October 6, 2025 — Dozens of smallholder farmers in River Gee County are counting huge losses after nearly ten acres of cassava farms spoiled in the field due to deplorable road conditions and the absence of a cassava processing machine in Tienpo Statutory District.
The affected farmers, many of them members of the Karford Multi-Purpose Cooperative Society, described the situation as devastating, saying months of hard labor and financial investment have gone to waste.
Speaking to reporters, Oliver Jay, Business Manager of the cooperative, and Madam Susannah S. Donmon, a senior member, said poor farm-to-market roads made it impossible to transport harvested cassava to nearby markets.
“There’s no access road to move our cassava to the market,” Madam Donmon lamented. “We worked hard, cleared the land, planted, and weeded. But when it was time to harvest, the road became impassable. We couldn’t move the cassava to sell it, and now most of it has spoiled in the ground.”
The farmers further noted that even if they had managed to transport part of their harvest, the lack of a cassava processing machine in the district made it impossible to convert the produce into gari, fufu, or other marketable products.
Tienpo Statutory District, which includes Sheriken Town—the native home of former River Gee Senator Matthew Jay—has long struggled with poor road infrastructure and the lack of agricultural facilities, despite its fertile land and hardworking farming population.
Eric W. Jackson, a farmer from Tienpo Geleeken Community, appealed to the Ministry of Agriculture, the River Gee County Administration, and development partners to intervene urgently.
“We need help with farm-to-market roads and cassava processing centers,” Jackson said. “If nothing is done, farmers will continue losing their crops, and the entire district will suffer.”
Gabrieline T. Solbert, a youth farmer in Sheriken, said the loss of cassava harvests has dealt a serious blow to local food security and family incomes.
“Cassava and rice are our main food crops here,” Solbert explained. “When we lose harvests like this, it affects everything — our families, the local economy, and even our children’s education. Some of us can’t afford school fees or basic needs this year.”
In addition to road and processing challenges, farmers in Tienpo District are appealing for basic farming tools such as cutlasses, hooks, shovels, wheelbarrows, raincoats, rain boots, and gloves to help improve production despite poor infrastructure.
When contacted , Jasper Sheriff Tweh, River Gee County Agriculture Coordinator, acknowledged the situation and assured that the Ministry of Agriculture, in collaboration with development partners, is working to address the problem.
“We are aware of the situation,” Tweh said. “Efforts are underway to provide community cassava processing machines and other agricultural tools. However, these interventions will take time, as funding and logistics are still being mobilized.”
Meanwhile, farmers are urging that the government act swiftly before the next planting season begins to prevent further losses.
“We can’t afford for this to happen again,” one farmer concluded. “If the government helps us now, we can recover and continue to feed our families and communities.”
