Dukuly International Farm and Mercy Corps Empower Young Farmers through Skill Development

By Judoemue M. Kollie

As Liberia continues to grapple with food insecurity and rising youth unemployment, stakeholders in the agriculture sector are exploring more targeted interventions to attract young people to farming. One such initiative, recently completed by Dukuly International Farm in collaboration with Mercy Corps under the PROSPECT IV program, is demonstrating early signs of impact through the upskilling of young farmers in vegetable production.

The six-month training program, which ended this July, equipped 25 young participants—including women—with practical knowledge in Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) focused specifically on vegetable cultivation. Training modules covered key areas such as land preparation, seedling production, transplanting techniques, crop management, integrated pest management, and post-harvest handling. These components are critical for improving productivity and reducing post-harvest losses, which remain a major bottleneck in Liberia’s horticulture sector.

What distinguishes this intervention is not only the technical training provided but also the integration of support services such as the distribution of basic farming tools, fertilizers, and agrochemicals. Furthermore, Dukuly International Farm has pledged to establish a centralized buying center to purchase vegetables directly from trainees—an important step toward creating reliable market linkages, reducing transaction costs, and encouraging continuity of production among beneficiaries.

Such integrated models—combining capacity building, input support, and market access—align with broader agricultural transformation frameworks aimed at developing inclusive value chains. They also offer practical examples of how localized agribusinesses can serve as incubators for rural youth entrepreneurship.

Although a formal impact evaluation is yet to be conducted, anecdotal evidence suggests that the intervention has improved farming efficiency among participants. For example, Margaret Nigba-Gayedgu, CEO of Her  Voice Agriculture Farm, attested to enhanced productivity after gaining knowledge in pest and disease management. “Before the training, I struggled with managing pests on my vegetable crops. Now, my tomatoes are healthy and ready for market,” she said.

These testimonials highlight the importance of knowledge transfer in overcoming agronomic challenges that typically discourage youth participation in agriculture.

This training initiative reflects a growing recognition among development partners and agri-entrepreneurs that youth can be pivotal in transforming Liberia’s agri-food system—provided that interventions are designed to address both skill gaps and economic incentives. According to Khalil Dukuly, CEO of Dukuly International Farm, the goal is to foster self-reliant youth agripreneurs who can sustain their farming enterprises independently.

Mercy Corps representative Rose Blidi Kansuah echoed this sentiment, emphasizing the need for continuous partnerships between local businesses and NGOs to scale such interventions. “Building the capacity of young people in agriculture must go hand-in-hand with creating viable markets and support systems,” she noted.

Despite persistent challenges such as limited access to finance and mechanization, programs like PROSPECT IV demonstrate that with structured support, young people are willing and able to contribute meaningfully to Liberia’s food economy.

While still modest in scale, the Dukuly-Mercy Corps vegetable training program offers a replicable model for youth agricultural engagement. Its emphasis on end-to-end value chain development—from input supply to market access—sets it apart from more fragmented interventions. For long-term impact, however, there is a pressing need to integrate such programs into national agricultural policies and secure sustainable financing mechanisms that can allow them to scale across counties.