By: Washington Tumay Watson –onewash9@gmail.com
MONROVIA-Liberian women’s engagement into agricultural activities will shortly be recognized internationally as the Government of Liberia, through the Ministry of Agriculture has planned to establish the Agricultural Center of Excellence for Women in the country.
This initiative, according to Liberia’s Minister of Agriculture, Jeanie Cooper, will witness the government of Liberia working with its developmental partners to have such a vision actualized.
Speaking Tuesday, January 17, 2023, on state radio in Paynesville, the female Agriculture Boss elaborated that such Agricultural Center of Excellence for women will be the first for women in the world, stressing that no country has ever established such a center.
“We always say women are the farmers, let’s showcase that on how we can help women get all of their benefits,” she indicated.
The Minister of Agriculture’s quest for women if becomes a reality will empower women who are producing agricultural products from their respective farms.
Liberian Women in Agriculture, according to Minister Cooper, is working to have the sector viable.
She noted that women need to push, through the provision of training in the areas of post-harvesting, processing, cooking, marketing, distributing, and making their products attractive on the market among others.
Minister Cooper furthered that the Government’s plan for 2023 is to boost women’s capacities in the sector which will generate more income for them.
She named some of the developmental partners that comprise the UN-Women, Orange Foundation, and the World Food Program (W.F.P) to establish the Center of Excellence for women’s empowerment.
The Minister added that the government, through the Ministry of Agriculture, was able to rehabilitate the farm-to-market road in Nimba County.
She noted that the rehabilitated roads have allowed farmers to transport their goods at a low cost.
Minister Cooper mentioned that the country can only develop its rice sector if much emphasis is placed on smallholder farmers that will make Liberians self-sufficient in the sector.
Comments are closed.