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By Reporter Albert Payma Willie
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0775567161 / 0881196033
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) AID Project has donated farm implements valued at approximately US$15,000 to the Fuamah District Multipurpose Cooperative Society in Bong County, in a major boost to efforts to modernize farming and reduce the heavy manual labor traditionally associated with agricultural production in the district.
The donation includes two power tillers, two tricycles, seeding and spraying equipment, and other essential farming materials intended to strengthen agricultural activities, reduce production constraints and improve productivity among smallholder farmers in Fuamah District.
For generations, many Liberian farmers have depended heavily on cutlasses, hoes and other basic hand tools to prepare farmland, plant crops, weed and carry out other labor-intensive farming activities. While these traditional tools remain important, the heavy reliance on manual labor often makes agricultural production slow, physically demanding and costly, particularly for smallholder farmers cultivating larger areas.
The introduction of mechanized equipment through the UAE AID Project is therefore expected to help farmers move gradually from highly labor-intensive production methods toward more efficient and productive farming systems.
Power tillers, in particular, can significantly reduce the time and physical effort required to prepare land, allowing farmers to cultivate larger areas within shorter periods. The equipment can also help address one of the major challenges facing smallholder agriculture in Liberia—limited access to affordable farm mechanization.
With improved access to machinery and modern farm equipment, farmers are expected to spend less time and energy on strenuous manual activities while increasing the amount of land they can cultivate. This could ultimately contribute to higher production, improved farm incomes and better livelihoods for farming households.
Speaking on behalf of the UAE AID Project, Ambrose Forpoh said the donation forms part of the project’s closing package designed to strengthen farming activities and provide continued support to farmers across Fuamah District.
Forpoh encouraged members of the cooperative to take proper care of the equipment and ensure that the machines and other materials are used for their intended purposes.
He stressed that proper management, maintenance and collective ownership of the equipment would be critical to ensuring that the benefits of the donation extend to more farmers and continue beyond the life of the project.
The availability of the equipment is also expected to create opportunities for farmers to share or access mechanized services through the cooperative, potentially reducing the cost and difficulty associated with hiring manual labor for major farming activities.
Meanwhile, the leadership of the Fuamah District Multipurpose Cooperative Society, headed by Chairman Joseph Moore, has expressed heartfelt gratitude to the Government and people of the United Arab Emirates and the UAE AID Project for identifying with the cooperative and responding to some of the major challenges confronting farmers.
The cooperative leadership said the donation comes at a critical time when farmers are seeking ways to increase production while reducing the physical and financial burden associated with traditional farming methods.
According to the cooperative, the farm implements will help farmers overcome some of their longstanding production challenges, particularly the dependence on hoes and cutlasses for extensive farm operations.
The cooperative believes that greater access to mechanized equipment will enable farmers to cultivate more land, complete farming activities on time and improve overall agricultural productivity in Fuamah District.
The donation is being viewed by local farmers not simply as the provision of farm equipment, but as an important step toward transforming traditional, labor-intensive agriculture into a more mechanized, efficient and commercially productive farming system.
For smallholder farmers who have traditionally relied on physical labor for nearly every stage of production, the equipment could help reduce drudgery, save valuable time and enable them to focus more on improving farm management, production and marketing.
Stakeholders are therefore hopeful that the proper use and maintenance of the donated equipment will help establish a sustainable model for cooperative-based mechanization, allowing more farmers in Fuamah District to benefit from modern agricultural technologies and contribute to increased food production and improved rural livelihoods.
