Key Takeaways
- The African Development Fund approved an additional $10 million from the Global Agriculture and Food Security Program (GAFSP) for Liberia’s Smallholder Agriculture Development for Food and Nutrition Security project.
- The project focuses on improving food and nutrition security and reducing poverty by enhancing agricultural productivity and market access for smallholder farmers.
- Rising fertilizer and energy costs have driven the need to boost local food production in Liberia.
- The additional funding will expand the project to 18,260 new households and 15,000 students for home-grown school feeding programs.
- The project includes initiatives to strengthen sustainable crop production, value addition, market linkage, and capacity building for government and farmers.
African Development Fund Approves Additional $10 Million for Liberia’s Smallholder Agriculture Development Project
The Board of Directors of the African Development Fund has announced the approval of an additional $10 million from the Global Agriculture and Food Security Program (GAFSP). This funding aims to scale up the impact of the Smallholder Agriculture Development for Food and Nutrition Security project in Liberia. The initiative focuses on improving food and nutrition security and reducing poverty among rural populations by increasing agricultural production and productivity.
Enhancing Agricultural Production and Market Access
The project aims to significantly boost the productivity of smallholder farmers, concentrating on essential food crops such as rice, cassava, and vegetables. By improving smallholders’ value addition and market access, the initiative seeks to enhance their income and strengthen the capacity of government institutions, farmers, and producer organizations. The recent approval marks a significant step towards achieving these goals, especially amidst rising energy costs and the destabilization of the fertilizer sector, which have escalated food prices and impacted food import-dependent countries like Liberia.
Addressing Fertilizer Price Hikes and Food Security
Liberia has faced considerable challenges due to the increased prices of imported agricultural inputs and energy. The surge in fertilizer prices has led to higher food prices, necessitating efforts to maximize local food production to secure food and nutrition security. The initial financing for the project, approved in June 2021, aimed to increase the productivity of rice and cassava to 3.5 Mt/ha and 25 Mt/ha, respectively. The additional funding will target around 18,260 households, supplementing the existing 11,740 households and benefiting 15,000 students through home-grown school feeding programs.
Expanding Project Scope and Enhancing Outcomes
The expanded project will support sustainable crop production by producing breeder seeds, foundation, and certified seeds for farmers cultivating 7,000 hectares of land. It will also facilitate value addition by linking farmers and processors to markets through the establishment of six post-harvest facilities for cassava and rice, complemented by four aggregation centers near the processing sites. Additional outputs include strengthening participatory farmer advisory services, supporting national food safety and security, and enhancing the capacity of the Ministry of Agriculture in investment planning and implementation.
Financial and Strategic Framework
The total cost of the project is estimated at $19.08 million, with significant contributions from various sources: $18.2 million from GAFSP, $429,027 from the African Development Fund, and $453,000 from the Liberian government. The project aligns with government priorities to improve food security, strengthen livelihoods, and promote agricultural transformation and economic prosperity.
Photo by Michael Pointner on Unsplash
1 Comment