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By: George C. Kollie
As part of government efforts to boost agricultural productivity across the country, the Ministry of Agriculture has announced plans to establish a farm machinery hub and warehouses in rural Montserrado
The announcement was made over the weekend during the harvest of a lowland rice project in Kingsville Township by Mr. J. Dennis Wiagbe Jr., Project Coordinator for the Smallholders Agriculture Development for Food and Nutrition Security (SADFONS) initiative.
Mr. Wiagbe disclosed that the Ministry has procured a range of machines intended to ease farming activities in the three counties. He said the hub will be managed by a private company currently undergoing evaluation by the Ministry. Smallholder farmers will be able to access the equipment for affordable fees.
According to him, the facility is expected to be fully operational and turned over to the selected company by October this year. The equipment includes tractors with multiple functions, power tillers, combine harvesters, cassava processing machines, and other essential farming tools.
He noted that the shift to private management of these micro equipment hubs comes after past government donations of farming materials to farmers failed due to poor maintenance.
Also speaking at the ceremony, Kingsville Township Commissioner Ezekiel Tambah praised members of the Sustainable Integrated Agriculture Cooperative for their commitment to supporting the government’s agricultural vision. He, however, raised concerns about reports of some officials demanding kickbacks from local farmers in exchange for grants or materials. Commissioner Tambah urged the Ministry of Agriculture to strengthen monitoring and evaluation to protect farmers from such practices.
In a brief remark, Mr. Luogon Polay, Lead Farmer of the Sustainable Integrated Agriculture Cooperative, thanked the government for its continuous support through the provision of seeds and tools. He appealed for additional resources to enable the cooperative to expand its farming activities.
The Ministry’s initiative to establish an equipment hub and warehouses is intended to ease farming activities, enhance productivity, and provide storage facilities for rural farmers. It reflects the government’s commitment to addressing the challenges of limited access to modern equipment and inadequate post-harvest infrastructure while promoting sustainable agricultural development in Liberia.
