Proposal on Agriculture in Liberia

Project Background

Cassava is the second most important staple food/cash crop in Liberia after rice.  It is widely grown for direct household consumption or processed into various bi-products such as farina and fufu for marketing for household income. Farina is the key product of cassava, most demanding product which provides farmers with maximum profit once produced and sold.  It is easier to prepare for direct consumption unlike rice (the staple food) and is always seen as a hunger breaker particularly during the rainy seasons.

Though the farmers obtain higher yields from the crop annually, the farmers have so far recalled very little profit from the cultivation of this key cash crop, simply because of the lack of improved processing machine, equipment and training.  The farmers have always used traditional methods highly energy gadgets to process the crop into farina for sale on the market.  The use of such traditional methods has resulted to low household income, battering of cassava farms for meager income and exploitation by Monrovia based middle buyers.

In terms of market and marketing of farina, Daniel Vonjua and Gbah, host periodic weekly markets with middle businessmen and women flooding into the markets from Monrovia and other farina and other cassava products.

Indeed, the Liberian civil crisis has created many serious problems for the Liberian Government as well as the international donors in the areas of employment, health care delivery and education.  During the crisis, all economic sectors were greatly affected.  Most commonly, the post-war economic plight has placed many Liberians especially rural women farmers at a disadvantaged in the main stream of the economic activities.

To find a way out of this appalling situation, many of these rural women farmers have established themselves into an informal agriculture sector for sustainability.  However, due to the lack of improved processing machine, equipment and training the farmers have always used traditional most high energy demanding gadgets and methods to process the crops.  The use of traditional methods has resulted to low household income thus preventing from meeting the basic elements of life.

Clearly, if nothing is done by the government and international donors to find an immediate remedy to this appalling situation, the rural in women farmers will continue to live in abject poverty.

Project Objectives  

The objectives of the project are:

• • Create self-employment opportunities for beneficiaries/communities
  • Provide income generation necessary for economic support to the beneficiaries
  • Provide direct aid to the beneficiaries for their involvement in development projects
  • Helps beneficiaries realize their potential that will promote resettlement and reintegration into their communities.

Project Activities                                          

To achieve the objective, the project will conduct the following activities:

• • Community sensitization and mobilization on the project
  • Basic Business Management Training
  • Procurement of project inputs
  • Installation of Processing Machines
  • Production, processing and marketing of farina
  • Construction of 6 farina production sites
  • Field Surveillance and monitoring to guide participants activities
  • Preparation of Operational and Financial Reports for the donor with detailed problems encountered, progress made and lessons learned

Project Strategies

To achieve the objectives the project will implement following strategies/method:

Implementation Strategy/Method

• • As soon as funds are approved, a Technical Committee comprising 5 women and 2 men will be elected from among the farmers in each targeted community. The role of the technical team is to oversee the implementation of the project activities to conclusion and serve as liaison between the beneficiaries and LCDF and the donor.
  • Six (6) cassava processing units will be procured and installed strategically in the targeted communities under the direct supervision of the Project Technical Committee who will in turn recruit the equivalent operators and maintenance technicians.
  • Once the machines are installed, community sensitized, and community-based Record Keeper identified and trained, the processing of the farina will then start. The sum 15 and 25 Liberian dollars will be charged for every bag of raw cassava grated for project beneficiaries and non-members respectively.
  • The six machines will each operates for five hours every day and each machine will grate 100 bags of raw cassava each day.
  • The Community based Record Keeper will keep records of all incoming money and be closely monitored by the Project Technical Committee.
  • Over time profit from this project will used to support other community felt needs such as reconstruction of wells, pit latrines, and micro-credit (loan revolving scheme promotion and other community services).

Expected Results

The following results are expected from the project when funded

• • Opportunities for the beneficiaries to participate in mainstream activities
  • Improve social and economic infrastructure for the targeted communities
  • To growth of small businesses with linkages to commerce
  • Promote peace, reconciliation and reintegration amongst the local residents of the targeted communities and its environs