Japanese Gov’t Rice Grant Makes Impact In Liberia

-Through CHAP

In an effort to boost the Agriculture sector of Liberia and improve food security in the country, despite the economy hardship faced by Liberians, the Community of Hope Agriculture Project (CHAP) through the Japanese Rice Grant Project has over the last two years worked with over twenty thousand farmers in five Ebola affected counties in Liberia.

Some US$2 million was given to Liberia by the Japanese Government through the International fund for Agriculture Development IFAD, which led to the collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture to design a project that would increase farmer’s income by developing the rice and cassava value chains in Liberia.

The Japanese Rice Grant is titled, ‘Economic recovery of Liberian rice Farmers in Ebola affected counties.

Those counties include Bomi, Grand Cape Mount, Grand Bassa, Lofa and Montserrado Counties.

The goals of the grant is to empower poor farmers, particularly women at least 60% to overcome the impact of the Ebola crisis and increase their food security and build sustainable agricultural rice bases and improve their livelihood.

The 14 years of war and the Ebola epidemic in the country undermined Liberia’s agriculture development over the past years and CHAP is working with thousands of farmers in these five counties highly hit by Ebola in 2014 to help improve the lives of these farmers and their communities.

The Community of Hope Agriculture Project through the Japanese Government Tax payers’ money is highly helpful to local farmers in Liberia.

The farmers under the Japanese Rice Grant Project, Economic Recovery of lowland Rice have received from the Japanese Government through the Community of Hope Agriculture Project the following in order to enhance rice production in the Country.

Rain Booth 7200 pairs, Fertilizers 7200 50kg bags, Shovel 600 pieces, farmers picture Book 1800 copies, Power Tiller 33 pieces, Garden Weasel (Weeder) 600 pieces and Pesticide 1800 liter among others.

Over 5000 direct beneficiaries, with over 60% female beneficiaries with the project, the project also trained farmers on the System of Rice Intensification (SRI).

CHAP through the Japanese Government is helping the Government of Liberia improve and strengthen food security in the Country after the long run Ebola crisis that took away many lives and left many children without parents.

Recently our reporter who visited the five counties in which CHAP is working, spoke with local farmers and county authorities concerning the impact of the Japanese Rice Grant through CHAP which is building sustainable agriculture, increase farmers income and empower rural poor farming in those Counties.

Our reporter who spoke with those people said the farmers expressed so much joy and happiness over the level of work CHAP is doing in their counties through the Japanese Rice Grant Project.

According to the Farmers, they have received all of the farming inputs, equipment’s, training promised them. Farmers when interviewed said, it is the first time they have ever seen and work with such model of  farming Equipment, like the Rotary tiller and Weeder which have made a huge difference in their lives and the farming communities in their Counties.

The farmers also thanked the Community of Hope Agriculture Project, the Japanese Government, IFAD and the Government of Liberia for the improvement so far in the agriculture sector of Liberia.

They said the Equipment, farm inputs and training given them by Japanese Government through CHAP is of great help to their farming life, they said years back they used to spend more energy and time to produce rice, but with the Equipment and training they are using less time and energy in the production of rice.