Liberia Agricultural and Environmental Journalists Network (LAEJN) Promote informed journalism and public engagement on agricultural and environmental nalists Network (LAEJN)
By Christina Sonpon, LAEJN Margibi Coordinator
For farmer Samuel Jimmy, agriculture has long been more than just a livelihood—it is the backbone of his family’s survival. Since 2016, he has cultivated a variety of vegetables, ranging from peppers, eggplants, cabbage, and watermelon. But despite his commitment and dedication, limited access to inputs and resources kept his yields modest.
That changed in 2023 when Samuel received support from the Smallholder Agriculture Transformation and Agribusiness Revitalization Project (STAR-P), funded by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the World Bank. The project provided him with high-quality vegetable seeds, fertilizer, cash assistance, and training in improved farming practices and techniques.
“STAR-P gave me quality seeds and fertilizer, and that changed everything,” Samuel told the Liberian Agricultural Journalists Network Coordinator in Margibi during a farm visit in Kana Hill Town, situated in Electoral District-4. “My crops came out well, and I was able to increase production.”
The impact has been outstanding. Working across four acres of farmland, Samuel harvested over 530 bags of cucumbers in one season. The increased output allowed him to expand to four farms, employ both men and women from his community, and pay his children’s school fees.
Agriculture, Samuel says, now offers him more stability than formal employment. “If you put yourself into farming, it pays like government work. I don’t wait for a salary—I make my own,” he said. Beyond his personal achievements , Samuel’s farms have become a source of empowerment in Kana Hill Town. He employs local youth, including those previously vulunrable to petty crime, and pays workers daily wages from his harvest sales. Women are actively involved in every stage, from planting and weeding, to harvesting and marketing produce.
Yet. challenges remain. Irrigation is a major obstacle during the dry season, and Samuel is hopeful that STAR-P will scale up its support by providing water pump machines and additional seeds to sustain production. Market fluctuations also create difficulties, with middle-women often dictating prices. To cope, Samuel adjusts his crop mix to maintain a steady income during periods of oversupply.
Despite these hurdles, Samuel views STAR-P as a reliable partner. He contrasted its transparency and consistency with past organizations that made promises of assistance but never delivered. STAR-P, he noted, follows up through regular monitoring visits to ensure farmers are using the support effectively.
Samuel believes expanding the program to reach more farmers across Liberia could boost national food security. “If more farmers get this kind of support, there will be more food in the market, children will go to school, and the whole country will move forward,” he said.
For farmers like Samuel Jimmy, IFAD and the World Bank investments through STAR-P represents more than just seeds, fertilizer, or cash—it is an opportunity to break cycles of poverty and dependency. By turning smallholder farmers into more productive agripreneurs, the project is helping families secure food, send children to school, and create employment for others within their communities.
Each harvest now contributes not only to Samuel’s household income but also to the economic stability of Kana Hill Town, where youth and women find daily work and new hope through agriculture. His story is one among many showing how targeted support, when coupled with training and accountability, can generate ripple effects that strengthen local economies and reduce rural hardship.
In a country where food security remains a national challenge, STAR-P’s approach—backed by IFAD and the World Bank —is gradually shifting the narrative of rural agriculture. From providing the tools farmers need to grow more and earn more, to encouraging innovation and resilience in the face of market and climate pressures, the project is laying the groundwork for stronger rural livelihoods.
One harvest at a time, Liberia’s smallholder farmers are not only feeding their families but also contributing to a broader vision of agricultural transformation and rural development. For Samuel Jimmy, that transformation has already taken root in the fertile soil of his four flourishing farms.
