Liberia Agricultural and Environmental Journalists Network (LAEJN) Promote informed journalism and public engagement on agricultural and environmental nalists Network (LAEJN)
By Joseph Titus Yekeryan
In Sanniquellie City, Nimba County, a modern livestock research and training facility is helping reshape the future of pig farming in Liberia by giving farmers, students, and researchers access to practical skills, modern livestock technologies, and hands-on agricultural education.
Constructed under the Ministry of Agriculture Rural Economic Empowerment Program (RETRAP) with support from the Government of Liberia and the World Bank, the Model Piggery Farm is emerging as a center of innovation and farmer learning aimed at strengthening Liberia’s livestock sector and increasing local food production.
Officially inaugurated on April 25, 2025, by Liberia’s Agriculture Minister, Dr. J. Alexander Nuetah, the facility represents part of a broader national effort to modernize agriculture, improve farmer productivity, and create sustainable livelihood opportunities across rural communities.
Today, the center is already making a measurable impact.
Managed by Lawrence Gonkanu, Head of the Nimba Livestock Farmers Cooperative, the facility currently raises pigs for research, demonstration, and practical training purposes. The farm is helping bridge the long-standing gap between classroom theory and practical agricultural experience by providing real-life exposure to modern livestock production techniques.
Students studying Animal Science at Nimba University regularly visit the facility to participate in field-based learning and research activities, while local farmers receive training in improved pig production practices, disease prevention, feeding systems, breeding methods, sanitation, and animal management.
For many farmers in the county, this is their first opportunity to access structured, hands-on livestock education.
“This facility is not only helping us raise pigs, but it is also serving as a center for knowledge and innovation,” Gonkanu said. “Farmers are now learning improved methods that can help increase productivity and income, while students are gaining practical experience that will benefit them in the future.”
The facility includes modern pig pens, research rooms, a laboratory, conference hall, administrative offices, and dedicated spaces for technical demonstrations and livestock studies. These investments are helping create an enabling environment for research, farmer training, and knowledge sharing.
Before the establishment of the center, many livestock farmers in Nimba County relied largely on traditional pig farming practices with limited access to veterinary guidance, modern feeding systems, or scientific production methods. The new training platform is now changing that reality by equipping farmers with practical skills that can improve productivity and reduce livestock losses.
Farmers participating in the training sessions say they are already applying improved practices on their farms, particularly in areas such as animal hygiene, disease control, and feeding management.
Community members and agricultural stakeholders also lauded the project as a timely investment capable of boosting local pig production, strengthening food security, and creating economic opportunities for young people interested in agriculture.
“This center is helping change the way we raise our pigs by introducing modern farming practices and practical training that many of us never had access to before. Here, we are learning better feeding methods, proper sanitation, disease prevention, and how to manage pigs more healthily and productively. The knowledge we are gaining is opening our eyes to new opportunities in livestock farming and showing us how pig production can become a profitable business that improves our income and supports our families,” said Arthur Menwayzie, a farmer visiting the facility from Karnplay Town.
Beyond livestock production, the initiative is also contributing to human capacity development by preparing a new generation of agricultural professionals with practical knowledge and technical experience needed to support Liberia’s growing agriculture sector.
The Model Piggery Farm forms part of the Ministry of Agriculture’s wider strategy to strengthen agricultural research, improve extension services, and expand farmer education programs through partnerships with development institutions, including the World Bank.
As activities continue to expand at the facility, the project is increasingly being viewed as a model for community-based agricultural transformation, one that combines research, education, and practical farmer support to advance sustainable livestock farming in Liberia.
