By Jerromie S. Walters
Liberia’ Agriculture Ministry (MOA) has concluded a two-day symposium- with an apt goal of identifying and implementing major policy and strategic actions that will propel Liberia towards self-sufficiency in rice production.
Through scientific and innovative value chain approaches, the Symposium which kick-started on Monday, September 25, 2023, and concluded on Tuesday, September 26, 2023, endeavored to harness emerging opportunities and foster an inclusive rice value chain led by the private sector.
The symposium which was held at the famous Farmington Hotel in Lower Margibi County, entertained several remarks, presentations, panel discussions, documentary. Session one of day one focused on setting the state through documentary and inclusive discussion- while the second session dwelled on the Ministry of Agriculture’ policy (The development of the domestic rice industry).
Conspicuously, the first session of day two, Tuesday, September 26, 2023, focused on “Rice policy interventions”- through a panel discussion on providing an enabling environment. This was followed by another panel discussion on “Research and development priorities for rice sufficiency”.
The last session of session of day two and fourth session of the entire symposium considered stakeholders perspectives, through panel discussions on partnership in production, investment, production and facilitation, as well as rice growers and processors perspectives.
In the keynote remark, Vice President Jewel Howard Taylor lauded the initiative, but also noted that rice has not only been Liberia’s staple food, but it is also widely considered to be a strategic agricultural commodity when its limited supplies and unaffordable price tags have also been a serious national security issue dating back 44 years ago, precisely from April 14, 1979 to date.
“Often, we have not focused our national discourse on the development of locally produced rice unless there are scarcity or visible market shocks due to global disruptions in supplies from major exporting nations.”
In her opinion, this should not be the case for Liberia. “We have the land to grow abundantly, we are endowed with favorable weather patterns and uniquely blessed with rich topographies from the hilly oceanic shores of Cape Mount to breezy Cape Palmas; from the wetland-dominated Monrovia city to the fertile soils of Mount Nimba and to the heavily forested Wologisi aegis up to the rising sun Grand Gedeh. But our focus had not been tailored to see this main food grown on a larger scale. This attitude has led most of our population, particularly the younger people, to have prefer foreign-grown rice over local rice.”
With this- she said President Weah continues to take practical steps towards tackling the underdevelopment of the rice sector incorporating all of its value chain – from seed to plate.
“Since 2018 when our administration was inaugurated, we have created the enabling environment for the agricultural sector to thrive, as can be seen from the significant increase in the number of agribusinesses involved in the processing and proper packaging locally grown organic Liberian rice for local consumption.”
She added, “From just three commercial processors before 2018– FABRAR Rice, AIIC and Selmah Agriculture – to additional processors: McKensie Farms, Senjeh Farms, Vertu Farms, and CHAP; and more than a dozen cooperatives like Martha Mahn Cooperative, Meni-Nina Cooperative, Dokodan and War-Affected Women Cooperative to name a few. These are entirely Liberian-owned businesses who are making excellent strides in transforming the sector. Many rice producers and processors are gearing up to follow suit, and this administration of the Government of Liberia is poised to support this expansion.”
The Vice President admitted that she was impressed by the commitment of those Liberian processors whose superior quality and organic rice are now being sold locally in supermarkets and exported abroad.
“There are lots more practical actions taken which are igniting the transformational drives in the sector headed by the Ministry of Agriculture with support from our many development partners. One key action is the establishment and operationalization of the Liberian Agricultural Commercial Fund (LACF) – a flagship program of this Government that was unveiled by His Excellency President Weah during the National Agriculture Fair in 2021. With support and funding from two of our key partners – the World Bank and the International Fund for Agricultural Development, the LACF has provided resources to more than 100 commercial agricultural entities in rice, oil palm, cassava, horticulture, rubber, poultry and piggery.”
In particular, she referenced the LACF, which she said, “It’s now an exciting program providing matching grants to rice farmers, producers and processors, for much-desired financial resources and equipment support to expand their production and capacity. Thus far, its success stories and measurable impacts are heart-warming. Many of you agribusinesses in this hall have benefitted from those grants. The tractors, power tillers and rice mills are helping you to expand cultivation and the equipment are blessings for you to produce more.”
At the same time, VP Taylor stated that the Government of Liberia immensely appreciates the enormous and impactful resources our partners from the World Bank, the International Fund for Agricultural Development, the African Development Bank, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the European Union, the Japanese International Cooperation Agency, the United Nations System among others, have been pouring into the agricultural sector. She describes them as Liberia’s pillars of strength to the current visible transformation in the sector.
However, she said the Government of Liberia seeks to gradually shift from developmental funding to crowd in and attract more direct participation from private sector actors to ensure the practical implementation of commercialized agriculture covering all our value chains.
“As a country, we have major tree crops covered through large scale commercial agriculture – like numerous rubber plantations and many oil palm concessions, cocoa farms which are in the private sector. We are seeking to have such private capital infused into growing rice on a commercial quantity.”
She further stated, “This is our calling as a Government to create the private sector investment friendly regulatory frameworks including favorable tax regimes and uncomplicated land acquisitions that will seek to have our rice grown locally on a large where we will not be bothered by any global disruptions in the supplies of imported rice as we will have our own.”
With this, she urged, “I urge this symposium to come out with concrete actionable steps to motivate the private sector in rice farming, production and processing. Those actions will not be shelved but fully executed by the Government of Liberia to ensure that, once and for all, WE GET RICE RIGHT!!”
“As we convene under the banner of Getting Rice Right, we recognize the imperative for a holistic approach, transcending conventional methods. We must explore sustainable value chain models, mobilize stakeholders, and rally our efforts with overall national policy directs.
The symposium will be a dynamic platform for critical discussions on various facets of the rice sector,” Agriculture Minister Jeanine Cooper told reporters.
“We will examine features of Liberia’s rice ecosystem with an eye to optimize private sector involvement and increase private investments in rice
Production. It is essential that we address the how in relation to policy implementation and attracting investments.”
Minister Cooper says following the climax of the symposium, they are hopeful of securing major achievements, including-profiling the inherent potential along each link of the rice value chain, exploring and documenting synergies between national and local government, development actors and the private sector.“Identify and document areas of comparative advantage for rice development in different regions of the country. Highlight and document the roles and
Commitment of key stakeholders in crucial areas.”
“In this regard, I want to recognize those Ministers of Agriculture who have, over the years, built the foundations for rice production in Liberia. In particular, I want to pay homage to the late Minister Florence Chenoweth who coined the phrase of growing what we eat and eating what we grow.”
She continued, “Once again, a warm welcome to the Liberia Rice Symposium. I look forward to engaging in enriching discussions and witnessing the positive impact of our collective efforts.”
“It is with great pleasure that I extend a warm welcome to each of you as we embark on a significant milestone in Liberia’s agricultural journey- the Liberia Rice Symposium. This event is a pivotal component of our national rice transformation process, representing a concerted effort to forge innovative pathways within our rice sector.”
In Liberia, rice isn’t just a staple food, it is a way of life. For decades, its availability,
Price, and quality have shaped our nations narrative. From the unrest sparked by
Proposed rice tariffs in 1979 to the present challenges of COVID-19, climate impacts, conflict, and commodity price fluctuations, our reliance on imported rice has persisted,however, the events of 2022 have underscored a stark reality: this dependence is not sustainable.
As Liberia grapples with the aftermath of Ebola and face the new 4Cs challenges, the need was emphasized to the country to reimagine its approach to rice production. “lt’s time to shift the paradigm by focusing on three key pillars: bolstering smallholder production, scaling up agribusiness micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMES), and attracting commercial agri-food ventures.”
“The crux of our innovation lies in optimizing existing processes, empowering farmers
and businesses to produce more efficiently, economically, and greater scale. The
necessary technologies are at our disposal; itis time to put them to work.
His Excellency, President George Manneh Weah’s establishment of the National
Rice Stabilization Task Force reflects our commitment to ensuring a steady supply of rice in our markets. Setting an ambitious national target to grow 75 percent of our consumption in four cropping seasons is a monumental step forward an astounding 150 percent increase from current production levels.”
