Monrovia – Over seven thousand farmers including households in Montserrado County have benefited from the distributions of over 243.6 metric ton of food from the Emma Smith Life Recovery Foundation.
Report by Edwin G. Genoway – [email protected]
The farmers also benefited from a huge consignment of farming materials from the foundation as part of the program to enhance their activities.
According to the project technician of the foundation, Koboi Lamine, the program is a Japanese funded supplementary food project, sponsored by the World Food Program (WFP) aimed at empowering local farmers in the country.
He spoke with journalists Monday in an interview following a delivery of a monthly report at the Ministry of Agriculture annex in lower Montserrado County.
Mr. Lamine disclosed that the project targeted the development of both lowland and upland vegetable productions, lowland showcase and traditional, tuba lowland upland productions, rehabilitation of some 50 kilometer of roads within Todee and Careysburg, including community structures rehabilitation among others within the project coverage areas in Montserrado County.
“There are other supporting components of the project which also targets the rehabilitation of over ten lode bridges in order to facilitate the easy movement of vehicles within the coverage area of the project,” he said.
Mr. Lamine admonished the farmers and stakeholders to develop lowland as early as March-April in order to avoid flooding as were faced doing the recent program.
He added that the Emma Smith Life Recovery Foundation (ESLRF) with support from the WFP and the Japanese government were able to support the target set by the farmers thereby providing farming tools and some 243.6 metro ton of food items among others in buttressing their efforts.
He said while it’s true that there were some challenges faced doing the program, his organization performed beyond expectation.
For her part the Executive Director of the Foundation, Emma Smith, called on Liberian women to take advantage of farming.
“This is one of the surest ways to minimize the economic hardship in the country,” she said.
Madam Smith also said that there were several challenges and issues brought up by farmers during their reports and promised to work with partners and donors in addressing their plight.
She pledged her foundation’s commitment to work with more farmers in the next face of the program that is expected to kick up shortly.
She used the occasion to thank the WFP and other supporting partners for their tireless and unflinching support to the foundation and farmers in the country.
The Emma Smith Life Recovery Foundation (ESLRF) is a non-profitable organization aimed at empowering less fortunate including Ebola survivors, youth initiatives,farming groups among others, and will continue to do the foundation’s head added.
Also speaking, the County Agriculture Coordinator (CAC) of Montserrado County, Beatrice S. Bowman, lauded the Emma Smith Foundation for successfully ending the Japanese-WFP sponsored project that has benefited thousands of farmers and households within Todee and Careysburg.
Madam Bowman admitted that there are several challenges faced by the Agriculture Ministry to supporting farmers in the country, but admonished them to tirelessly work if Liberia must help herself in food production.
“The lack of requisite tools and equipment that could empower farmers thereby enhancing their productions more efficiently as some challenges faced by the ministry, but added that the ministry is doing all she can to address these needs,” she said.