Monrovia – Liberia’s Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Moses Zinnah, says the government is prepared to work with partners at all times to put money in the pocket of Liberian farmers by improving the agriculture sector.
Report by Edwin G. Genoway – [email protected]
Dr. Zinnah said though the government cannot do all on its own.
Speaking over the weekend at the official launch of the Agro-Inputs Dealer Association of Liberia, he said the Ministry will continue to facilitate in enhancing the success of the association.
The newly established group is comprised of dealers in agricultural inputs and is supported by the Ministry of Agriculture and the USAID-funded Feed the Future Liberia Agribusiness Development (LADA).
Minister Zinnah said government depends on partners to help improve the agriculture sector, saying, without them, it will be difficult for business to thrive.
“For us as government, we will ensure that this works.”
“We will support the process and you people can call me any time to work with you and we, as the government, are willing to intervene for the farmers,” he said.
He noted that dealers who provide inputs to farmers such as seeds, fertilizers, fungicides, and pesticides, play a little noticed but crucial role within the agriculture sector.
He said the role of import dealers is to ensure that people are properly educated about the acceptability of their products, pricing, and quality.
Minister Zinnah also said, with the group’s work, it would now be easier to track and manage misused agriculture products.
“Agro-dealers supposed to be the ones to educate the farmers on the proper usage of the imports,” Minister Zinnah noted.
He stressed the importance of agro-inputs but said they can be harmful to humans and cause more troubles to crops and animals if not properly applied.
He challenged the leadership of the group to ensure that the Ministry provides training for them on the roles they have to play in the sector.
“Agro inputs dealers provide market information,” he added.”
““If people don’t know the use of fertilizers or improved seeds, they wouldn’t use it.”
Speaking earlier at the event, deputy minister for the small business administration at the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Andrew Paygar, thanked the efforts of the Agro-inputs dealers by providing small loans and business training.
“We think that this is very significant. It will supplement our efforts, and together we all can work toward making our country self-sufficient in terms of food production,” he said.
He disclosed that the Ministry has embarked on a number of efforts to enhance farmers’ access to the market, including the establishment of the Liberian Marketplace at the Jorkpeh Town Market in Sinkor and the recent launch of the Farmers’ Market Day.
He said the Liberian Marketplace is a showroom for Liberian-owned businesses to display their products, while the Farmers Market Day allows local farmers to showcase their produce to the market every first and third Saturday.
LADA Chief for Party, Daniel Gies, at the program expressed his support for the group of agro inputs dealers.
He said it would allow them to better represent their own interest and facilitate dealing with the Ministry of Agriculture and importers in order to deliver better and higher quality inputs to farmers that are cheaper and more affordable.
“It is not our creation or program, but we decided to devote our money, and our time and our resources to this association so that they can better serve the Liberian farmers who are out there and lack access to affordable agro inputs,” he said.
The President of the Agro-Inputs Dealers Association, Madam Rebecca Kalayi, said the launch of the association is the beginning of a journey of difficult tasks ahead.
Madam Kalayi said with the support received from stakeholders, including the Agriculture and Commerce Ministries, the Agro-Inputs Dealer Association will achieve its goals of providing access and education on agro-inputs to farmers throughout the country.
She said her association would ensure that not only farmers have access to agro-inputs, but that quality inputs are provided and used properly at the right time.
“If we don’t tell them to apply at the given time, we will not get the yield,” she said. “If we don’t tell them also when to harvest after the application, it becomes a problem for us.”
With training acquired from LADA, she said agro inputs dealers also now have knowledge on the importance of proper storage for their inputs.
As part of her targets, Kalayi said she would ensure that with the help of the Ministry of Agriculture, every county will have a demonstration site so that inputs entering the country can be tested and farmers are trained on their usage before being supplied on the market.
One of the farmers at the program, Harriett Lawai, said the costs of agro-inputs in the country are still very high on the market.
“If we get opportunities to import our own products, we will be able to get affordable [products] that will encourage the farmers to plant more,” she said.
She said such will also create an environment where farmers can take inputs and pay for them during post-harvest.