Monrovia – BRAC Liberia under its Agriculture, Food Security and Livelihood (AFSL) program has ended a day-long agriculture fair in the country.
The daylong agriculture fair under the Pro-Resilience Action-RO-ACT 2015: Supporting the poor, food and nutrition insecure to react to crises and strengthen resilience in Liberia sponsored by the European Union was held at the Paynesville City Hall, Montserrado County, Liberia on Friday, August 17, 2018.
The event brought together several farmers across the 6 counties of Liberia who displayed their locally produce crops, vegetables, fruits, nursery, poultry and livestock items as well, to the buying public.
The agriculture fair was graced by senior government officials, including the Ministry of Agriculture, Dr. Mogana S. Flomo, BRAC Liberia Country Representative, Mr. Mainuddin Ahmed, and Paynesville City Mayor Madam Pam Belcher-Taylor, the Director of CARI, Ministry of Agriculture Director of Agriculture Extension Services Mr. Edward B. Perry and among others.
Dr. Mogana S. Flomo Jr. Agriculture Minister inaugurated the event while Paynesville City Mayor Ms. Pam Belcher-Tayor attended the inaugural session as Special Guest.
The event which started with an official inaugural ceremony brought a number of farmer groups, associations, private and public sector actors including BRAC program participants. They attended the fair with their innovations and products which were been sold at the occasion.
Speaking at the Agriculture Fair in Paynesville, BRAC-Liberia Country Representative, Mr. Mainuddin Ahmed disclosed that the project is aimed at empowering poor and vulnerable households through agriculture for self-reliance.
Mr. Ahmed also highlighted that the Fair was intended for beneficiaries of the PRO-ACT-2015 project to showcase their products aimed at encouraging agricultural activities in Liberia. He mentioned that BRAC Liberia under its Agriculture, Food Security and Livelihood (AFSL) program is presently implementing it project in six counties across Liberia which is benefiting thousands of dwellers.
Mr. Mainuddin Ahmed disclosed that BRAC is fully committed to working with Liberians under it various projects as seen from its existence in Liberia since 2008 which have impacted the livelihood of thousands of Liberia across the country.
Highlighting the overall activities of BRAC across the world, Mr. Ahmed pointed out that BRAC was founded in Bangladesh since 1972 and started operations in Liberia since 2008 with thematic areas in Health, Agriculture, Microfinances, Adolescent & Women Empowerment, and Enterprise Development.
“In Liberia, we are collaborating with the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA), the Central Agriculture Research Institute (CARI) and other International organizations working in the country and we are presently working in 10 out of the 15 counties of Liberia. The project being sponsored by European Union and is being implemented in 6 counties: Margibi, Bong, Grand Bassa, Montserrado, Bomi and Grand Cape mount” he furthered said.
According to the BRAC Liberia Country Representative, his organization which is the number one NGO in the word is working with poor and vulnerable households in helping to develop their human capacity in the agriculture, food production, education, health, adolescent empowerment, microfinance through its various donors including; UNICEF, USAID, UKAID and others, as EU remains BRAC-Liberia longtime partner.
The BRAC Liberia head reassured his organization full commitment of working with the Government of Liberia in ensuring the agriculture and other sectors improve to meet the pro-poor agenda of the government, noting that his organization is always open to working with the Liberian people as seen from its present activities across the country.
Also speaking at the Fair, the Director of the Center for Agricultural Research Institute (CARI), Dr. Marcus Jones called on Liberians to return to the soil, if the country must feed itself again as in the past.
According to him, the importation of food in the country is on the increase which is causing much expensive to the livelihood of the ordinary citizens of the country which need to be cut down by the citizens going back to the soil to produce what they eat on a daily basis.
He stressed the needs for Liberians to get back to the soil which will help in the production of more food materials for the sustainability of their families.
Meanwhile, Agriculture Minister, Dr. Mogana Flomo says it is a disgrace for Liberia to continue importing food when citizens are able to produce food that can sustain the country. Minister Flomo blamed the situation on the lack of willingness on the part of Liberians to return to the soil to engage in food production, something he said the Government is seriously considering.
The Liberian Agriculture Minister disclosed that the government of Liberia has set aside a budget for rice production in Bong, Lofa and Nimba Counties which will be implemented very shortly as one of the main focus of the present government under it PRO-POOR Agenda.
He mentioned that the importation of food and other food items by Liberia has become so common for our citizens which is causing some health problems for the citizens as well as much expensive to the livelihood of the ordinary people who cannot afford to buy such imported food items.
He, however, urged the farmers to be committed in what they do as to ensure accountability in the implementation of the various farm projects which will enhance their food production ability and improve nutrition at the home level.
For her part, the Mayor of the Paynesville City Cooperation (PCC), Pam Belcher-Taylor disclosed that the City Corporation in collaboration with Vegetable Sellers Association is launching a pilot vegetable farm at the Omega Market in Paynesville.
Mayor Taylor thanked BRAC-Liberia for the Agriculture Fair, describing agriculture as a means of creating jobs, improving nutrition and providing food for households across the country.
She however assured BRAC of forging partnership with her City Cooperation in ensuring that food production increases in the country.
At the end of the agriculture fair, three distinct farmers under the European Union from Sinji, Grand Cape Mount County, Paynesville north and Airport areas were honored three separately awards for their outstanding performance over the project period.
Presenting the awards to the three farmers, BRAC Liberia Country Representative Mr. Mainuddin Ahmed lauded the famers for their high performance through the implementation of the EU project which has also increased their knowledge in agriculture and livestock production for the self-reliance.
At the end, the Pro-Resilience Action – PRO-ACT 2015: Supporting the poor, food and nutrition insecure to react to crises and strengthen resilience in Liberia project beneficiaries lauded BRAC Liberia and its main donors (the European Union) for it contributions to the production of food and livestock in the country which help in the fight against the food insecurity of the country. The farmers assured BRAC and EU of sustaining the project even if they leave but were quick to ask EU for continuous support to BRAC in order to help lift them from the circle of poverty.
The well-organized agriculture fair helped farmers to showcase their farm produce including Liberia local farm produce like, fruits, vegetables, cassava, rice, beans, potatoes, gari, pepper, better bulbs, and also live animals like goats, sheep, chicken and eggs, pigs which we on sale at the ceremony.
The ceremony was fully organized by BRAC Liberia in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture under the sponsorship of the European Union.