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By LAEJN Staff
The Community of Hope Agriculture Project (CHAP) and the Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL) have entered into a strategic partnership aimed at revitalizing the military’s agriculture company and strengthening national food security. The partnership was formalized through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between CHAP and the AFL High Command.
Under the agreement, CHAP will train soldiers in the System of Rice Intensification (SRI) through the RICOWAS program and support pilot rice production across three key military installations: the Edward Binyah Kesselly (EBK) Barracks, Camp Jackson (Namaa), and Toedee. CHAP is providing improved seed varieties, including the high-yield FARA 67, as well as machinery, technical guidance, and hands-on field support.
Currently, two hectares of rice under the SRI method are approaching maturity at EBK Barracks, marking the first major milestone of the partnership.
Speaking during the announcement, CHAP Executive Director Bishop Robert S. M. Bimba described the initiative as a transformative step for both agricultural development and the welfare of Liberia’s armed forces.
“This collaboration is restoring confidence in the AFL’s agricultural capacity. The soldiers are excited, motivated, and seeing real results. With yields expected at about four tons per hectare, this pilot is proving that the System of Rice Intensification can make the AFL self-reliant in rice production,” Bimba said.
He emphasized that CHAP’s role extends beyond training, noting that the organization is supplying the necessary tools, improved seeds, and technical skills needed to modernize military agriculture.
“We started small to introduce the technology, and now we are moving into larger-scale production after this harvest,” he added. “This is only the beginning—the momentum is strong, and the soldiers are committed.”
The MOU was signed by Maj. Gen. Davidson Forleh, Chief of Staff of the AFL, and Bishop Bimba on behalf of CHAP. General Forleh has welcomed the early progress and is expected to visit the project site during the field day scheduled for November 25, 2025, where he will assess results and discuss scaling up production across all barracks.
Captain Emmanuel D. Wesseh, who leads the AFL Agriculture Company, is overseeing the implementation on the military side. According to project supervisors, soldiers assigned to the initiative have expressed pride and renewed morale, noting that the project is contributing to both food security and a stronger sense of purpose within the force.
Once harvested, the rice will be milled at CHAP’s processing facility in Zubah Town and used to feed the military as part of the AFL’s “Force for Good” mandate.
Both CHAP and the AFL have expressed their commitment to ensuring the partnership becomes a long-term agricultural development model—one designed not only to feed Liberia’s military but to demonstrate how modern rice farming can boost productivity nationwide.
