Minister Alexander Nuetah Tours Several Farms in Western Liberia

-Says Bomi is A Prospect for Gov’t Agriculture Agenda

By O’Neill A.R. Philips

As the Government of President Joseph Nyuma Boakai gears up to revamp and improve agriculture productivity in the country, farmers in Bomi County are ready to promote the “Liberians Feed Yourself agenda.”

During a tour recently in Western Liberia, most of the farmers expressed their excitement that Agriculture Minister, Dr. J. Alexander Nuetah decided to solicit their input into the government’s vision to promote agriculture.

In conversations with the farmers, the Agriculture Minister informed farmers in Zegleka, Bomi County that President Joseph Boakai is ready to support farmers who are involved in large-scale low-land rice production, corn and cassava cultivation.

He informs the farmers that President Boakai wants Liberians to feed themselves before he can leave office.  The Minister reiterated that the government will do all it can to ensure farmers are fully supported.

” The President wants you to organize yourselves into a cooperative of about twenty-five persons who can identify about one thousand hectares for the production of rice in the low land( swamp), or cassava”, the Minister said.

Meanwhile, in response, farmers of the Hawomah farm cooperative in Zegleka welcomed the Minister and delegation, pledging their commitment to working with the authority to boost the country’s agriculture sector. The cooperative currently operates approximately one hundred twenty hectares of land for rice production.

They thanked the government for supporting them in a bid that has substantially impacted farmers in the surrounding towns and villages.

Dr. Nuetah through the Ministry of Agriculture contributed two hundred gallons of petroleum product to buttress ongoing efforts at the Hawomah rice production site.

Also at Senjeh Farm in Bomi, the producer of “Bomi Rice”,  Mr. Harmon Thomas, Chief Executive Officer told Dr. Nuetah that his corporation welcomes the government plan on agriculture and is willing to cooperate with the government for larger-scale rice production in the country.

Senjeh Farm cultivates rice on one hundred fifty acres of land while at the same time supporting local rice farmers and producing clean rice that is sold on the local market in Liberia.

Similarly, the Liberian American Poultry in Bomi County which is producing eggs for the local market in Liberia has so far employed about five hundred Liberians, mainly indigenous.

Liberian American Poultry is also involved with vegetable production. The company grows crops by both hydroponic and natural means.

As part of his tour, Dr. Nuetah visited the Dukuky Ken Karrat Incorporated. The agriculture enterprise is the production of vegetables mainly watermelon, pepper, bitter balls, and other crops. In a bid to buttress the company’s agriculture drive, the Agriculture Minister promised to boost its logistical support.

The Agriculture team led by Dr. Nuetah also visited several farming cooperatives and sites including Ma Joma Farm owned by Senator Amara Konneh. Ma Joma Farm is in the production of oil palm.

The team also took the Liberians Feed Yourselves Agenda to the Guawai Rubber Farmers Multi-purpose Cooperative and encouraged them to also invest in low-land rice production.

Farms visited across Bomi also included Stamar Kamar Farm,the West African Learning Center for No-Till Agriculture International ( WAI CENTER) , Molley, and Patten Farms amongst others.

The prospect for agriculture development in Bomi County is great as farmers there are involved in all sectors of agriculture and are adding value chain production to their investment ranging from rice, cassava, livestock, and palm production.

If sustained by government support through consistent technical support and training as well as market identification, the agriculture sector under President Boakai will realize an elevated bubble boom across Liberia impacting the lives of indigenous farmers.