Liberia Agricultural and Environmental Journalists Network (LAEJN) Promote informed journalism and public engagement on agricultural and environmental nalists Network (LAEJN)
By: Nukanah Kollie/ IFAJ-Alltech Young Leader & Fellow/ [email protected]
GBARNGA, BONG COUNTY—On a quiet stretch along the Gbarnga–Lofa highway, about six kilometers from the Bong County Police Station, adjacent the Jor Creek, the sound of flowing water and activity around freshly dug ponds signals what Jeff Juahkollie believes could become part of Liberia’s agricultural future.
Sitting near a series of fish ponds at Gift Farm Enterprise, Juahkollie speaks with optimism about aquaculture, the farming of fish, and its potential to improve nutrition, create jobs for young people, and reduce Liberia’s dependence on imported frozen food.
For him, fish farming is not simply another agricultural project. It is a vision tied to economic survival, public health, and rural transformation.
“Fish farming has fast income,” Juahkollie told Liberia Agricultural and Environmental Journalists Network reporter during an interview recently at the farm. “Once the ponds are prepared and the fingerlings are stocked, the main work is feeding them every morning and evening. In about six months, if managed properly, the fish are ready for sale.”
The idea behind Gift Farm Enterprise emerged from a broader concept of regenerative agriculture, an integrated farming system combining oil palm, vegetables, livestock, beekeeping, and aquaculture into one sustainable ecosystem.
“We wanted to create something different,” he explained. “We wanted to build a place where young people can learn, work, and generate income for themselves.”
Although the farm officially began operations in 2018, Juahkollie said agricultural activities started as early as 2016 with rice cultivation on approximately 25 acres of land. Since then, the enterprise has steadily expanded into multiple agricultural ventures, with fish farming now becoming one of its major priorities.
Across Liberia, fish remains one of the country’s most consumed sources of protein. Yet despite abundant rivers, wetlands, and coastal resources, aquaculture production remains relatively low compared to national demand.
According to World Bank-linked aquaculture data, Liberia’s fish farming (aquaculture) production stood at about 1,362 metric tons in 2023, reflecting a still-developing sector. World Bank Aquaculture Production – Liberia
At the same time, Liberia continues to rely heavily on imports. In 2023 alone, the country imported approximately US$17.7 million worth of fish and aquatic products, highlighting the strong dependence on foreign seafood supplies. Liberia Fish Imports Data
A fisheries and aquaculture assessment under ECOWAS statistical reporting further shows that domestic fish production in West African states, including Liberia, generally meets only part of national consumption needs, with imports filling major supply gaps. ECOWAS Fisheries and Aquaculture Statistical Factsheets.
Over the period 2018–2026, Liberia’s fisheries and aquaculture sector received significant multi-donor financing estimated at over US$40 million–US$70 million cumulatively. These resources were channeled into fisheries governance reforms, fish production support, maritime enforcement, and aquaculture development programs. Funding was implemented through national institutions such as the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Authority (NaFAA), with support from international partners including World Bank, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and the African Development Bank (AfDB), among others.
Taken together, these development partner interventions represent one of the most sustained multi-donor efforts in Liberia’s fisheries sector. However, despite this combined investment, domestic fish production still falls far below national demand, leaving Liberia heavily dependent on imports. Key interventions have focused on fisheries governance, aquaculture training, fish farming expansion, enforcement against illegal fishing, and institutional strengthening of NaFAA, but persistent challenges such as high feed costs, limited hatchery infrastructure, weak processing and storage systems, and inadequate financing for smallholder farmers continue to constrain sector growth and limit its full economic and nutritional potential.
Juahkollie believes small and medium-scale fish farms could help close that gap while creating employment opportunities for young people struggling to find work.
At Gift Farm Enterprise, three fish ponds have already been constructed, each costing approximately US$200 to develop. Though modest in scale, the ponds represent the beginning of a larger ambition.
“We have space for about fifteen ponds measuring sixty by sixty feet,” he said. “But fish farming is labor intensive and cost intensive. Expansion depends on support.”
For now, workers at the farm feed, harvest and maintain the ponds daily while preparations continue for future expansion. Juahkollie says fish farming offers a practical business opportunity because of its relatively short production cycle compared to crops like cocoa or rubber, which can take years before generating returns.
Farmers at the Gift Farm recently harvesting one of the ponds and marketing the fish to buyers.
“You can invest in fish and within months begin seeing income,” he noted. “That is important for young people.”
Beyond economics, Juahkollie repeatedly returned to what he considers the deeper issue: health.
Like many Liberians, he worries about the growing dependence on imported frozen food products sold in markets across the country. He argues that increasing local fish production could help improve diets and reduce health complications linked to process and poorly stored imported foods.“Most people now suffer from cholesterol and other sicknesses connected to frozen food,” he said. “We don’t always know how these products were stored before reaching Liberia.”
He recalled a recent conversation with a friend attending a workshop in Ganta who reportedly spent several days eating fresh local food and noticed the difference.
Despite the opportunities, Liberia’s aquaculture sector continues to face serious challenges. Farmers often struggle with limited financing; high feed costs, lack of modern hatcheries, inadequate storage and cooling facilities, poor transportation systems, and insufficient technical support.
Juahkollie said access to fingerlings remains one of the biggest obstacles facing fish farmers in the country, while many small-scale producers also lack the equipment and infrastructure needed to expand production.
“We need support systems,” he stressed. “Without support, many young people who want to go into fish farming cannot move forward.”
He also pointed to the absence of large-scale processing and preservation facilities, which affects the ability of farmers to store and market fish efficiently, especially in rural communities.
Still, efforts are gradually being made to strengthen the fisheries and aquaculture sector. Liberia’s National Fisheries and Aquaculture Authority (NaFAA) has in recent years promoted smallholder fish farming, technical training, and aquaculture development initiatives aimed at increasing local fish production. National Fisheries and Aquaculture Authority (NaFAA) Liberia
According to fisheries authorities, Liberia currently has roughly 1,700 fish ponds nationwide, mostly operated by smallholder farmers cultivating tilapia and catfish. Development partners and agricultural institutions have also supported farmers with training programs, pond construction, and fingerling distribution in parts of the country.
Juahkollie now hopes Gift Farm Enterprise can evolve into a training and support center for aspiring fish farmers across Liberia.
“We want to build a modern hatchery here,” he explained. “If we can raise fingerlings ourselves, we can train people, supply other farmers, and help expand fish farming across Liberia.”
According to him, the wished-for hatchery would require significant investment in pumps, water systems, reservoirs, and concrete infrastructure. He is therefore appealing to the Liberian government, international NGOs, agricultural institutions, and development partners for assistance.
“If the Ministry of Agriculture and other partners support fish farmers, we can help empower many young people,” he said.
As workers moved around the ponds under the afternoon heat, Juahkollie reflected on what he believes is missing in Liberia’s agricultural sector: collaboration. “We don’t support one another enough,” he said. “Everybody sees everything as competition. But if we support each other and learn from each other, we can build something bigger for our generation.”
For now, the ponds at Gift Farm Enterprise remain both a business venture and a symbol of a larger hope, that Liberia’s growing interest in aquaculture could one day turn local fish farming into a major pillar of food security, public health, and rural economic development.
