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CAREYSBURG, MONTSERRADO COUNTY | October 30, 2026 — President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr., has called for the swift deployment of over 300 pieces of agricultural machinery and equipment donated by the Government of the People’s Republic of China, stressing that the equipment must deliver tangible benefits to Liberian farmers and accelerate the country’s drive toward food self-sufficiency.
Speaking Friday at the official handover ceremony at Camp Sandee Ware in Careysburg, President Boakai challenged the Ministry of Agriculture to establish an effective system to distribute, operate, and maintain the machinery so farmers across the country benefit from the donation.
“Agriculture is not talking. It’s acting,” the President declared, emphasizing that the machinery must be put to productive use rather than remain idle.
He called for greater support to farmers already engaged in production and urged the Ministry to empower young Liberians with the skills and opportunities needed to participate in mechanized agriculture.
“Make sure we empower the young people who are willing and ready to do it,” he emphasized.
President Boakai thanked the Chinese Government for its continued support, describing China as a dependable development partner, and commended Agriculture Minister Dr. J. Alexander Nuetah for his role in facilitating the machinery initiative.
The donation includes tractors, power tillers, rice transplanters, mini combine harvesters, front-end loaders, rotary tillers, tractor wagons, low-bed trailers, diesel generators, irrigation equipment, mobile dryers, sprayers, and other agricultural implements designed to support land preparation, planting, harvesting, transportation, and post-harvest operations.
Agriculture Minister Dr. J. Alexander Nuetah announced plans to expand mechanization services to all 15 counties, building on 13 hubs already established in Bong, Nimba, Lofa, Margibi, Montserrado, and Bomi counties.
“These machines will help our farmers cultivate more land, increase production, and reduce manual labor. For our women farmers, this means less physical strain, greater productivity, and improved livelihoods,” Minister Nuetah said in an earlier statement on the machinery initiative.
He disclosed that expansion to the remaining nine counties will begin in southeastern Liberia, marking a major step toward making modern agricultural machinery accessible to farmers nationwide.
Minister Nuetah emphasized that the Government is moving beyond machinery acquisition to establishing a sustainable service delivery system that will enable farmers to access equipment at affordable fees without having to purchase expensive machines.
To support the rollout, 130 Liberians, including 27 women, are undergoing a 40-day intensive training program at the Central Agricultural Research Institute (CARI) in Bong County, with six Chinese technical specialists facilitating the program.
The training focuses on machinery operation, servicing, and maintenance to prepare skilled personnel for the nationwide mechanization drive.
Minister Nuetah praised the longstanding Liberia-China partnership, particularly Chinese Ambassador Yin Chengwu’s role in advancing the initiative, which began as a dinner-table conversation and developed into a major investment in Liberia’s agricultural future.
He reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to ensuring that the equipment is properly managed, maintained, and deployed to expand cultivation, increase food production, and improve farmers’ livelihoods.
Chinese Ambassador to Liberia, H.E. Yin Chengwu, reaffirmed China’s commitment to strengthening Liberia’s agricultural sector, emphasizing that the machinery must translate into increased productivity, reduced production costs, and improved farmer incomes.
“We hope that this agricultural machinery can be put into use and yield real benefits as soon as possible, helping farmers improve operational efficiency, reduce production costs, and inject fresh momentum into Liberia’s agricultural development,” Ambassador Yin stated.
He outlined three priorities for continued cooperation: strengthening food security, advancing agricultural modernization, and expanding technical collaboration and capacity building.
Ambassador Yin pledged continued support for agricultural training, technology transfer, agro-processing, and market development, linking the donation to commitments reached between Presidents Xi Jinping and Boakai and the 2024 Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC).
“While the handover ceremony will end, the partnership between the two countries will never,” he declared.
The handover marks a major milestone in Liberia’s agricultural transformation, with the Ministry of Agriculture now focused on translating the machinery donation into expanded cultivation, increased production, and lasting benefits for farmers across the country.
