Liberia Agriculture Sector Investment Program

The LASIP identifies priority areas from which investment projects aligning national objectives and the CAADP will be developed. The program will be a public-private partnership (PPP) in which investment growth for the export sectors will be spearheaded by the private sector, while the public sector will concentrate on the promotion of small farmer growth and development. Through a series of technical meetings resulting in several validation workshops, LASIP programs and sub-programs have been reordered to reflect priorities consistent with reduction of hunger and poverty in Pillar 2 of the PRS. Program 1: Food and Nutrition availability, accessibility, and utilization are major challenges on account of low production and productivity, bad road conditions, high post-harvest losses, low income levels, and poor systems of coordination and information management. Liberians are therefore net buyers of food, making reducing the real cost of food a major food security objective. The tree crops sub-sector is marred by ownership and governance issues, old tree stocks and varieties, unimproved germplasm, and low-value addition. Program 1 allows to sustainably address food insecurity, from emergency food aid to food assistance, and make progress toward meeting MDG goals, particularly poverty and hunger reduction.
The Government has concluded several concession agreements with various commercial investors for development of targeted sub-sectors within the agriculture and forestry sectors. In the agriculture sector, investor focus is now changing from rubber to other sub-sectors such as rice, palm oil, cocoa, coffee, and bananas. Nutrition Strategy that was developed to ensure that all Liberians have reliable access to the food they need and are able to utilize that food to live active and healthy lives. This will be accomplished by increasing food production, making it accessible to all including vulnerable segments of the population, and improving its utilization and systems for coordination and information management. It includes the improvement in the nutritional status of children under five and pregnant and lactating women. Efforts will also be made to rehabilitate, expand, and diversify smallholder tree crops, and agro-forestry will be given special attention.
Program 4: Land and Water Management The objective of this program is to ensure that the country’s endowment of land and water are used to accelerate food production and facilitate income generation through proper planning, development, and management. Focus will be placed on ensuring that farmers have access to land and secured tenure, and are able to utilize this resource in a sustainable way. Program 1: All priority interventions will be undertaken within six interrelated components as follows: Food Crops Production and Productivity Enhancement; Improved Nutritional Status and Management of Food Emergency; Smallholder Tree Crops and Agro-forestry Development; Sustainable Fisheries Sub-sector Development; Livestock Development and Promotion; and Special Women and Youth Initiative. LASIP indicators capture critical landmarks based on impact, i.e.: impact of interventions on agricultural productivity, output growth, poverty reduction, hunger, and food and nutrition security.
Program 2: Competitive Value Chains are undeveloped and markets are inaccessible. Rural infrastructure, including roads, is limited and deplorable. Linkages between producers and markets are poor, and farmers lack appropriate information to enable them make prudent marketing decisions. Financial services are particularly limited in rural communities. Agriculture continues to be undertaken by simple hand tools, and Liberian farmers lack skills and knowledge needed to operate and maintain labor-saving technologies. There is very low national and sector capacity for the efficient utilization of new technology and management of agricultural innovations and machinery. 1.2.1 The Statement of Policy Intent for the Agricultural Sector was an interim measure that envisioned the holistic development of agriculture into a sustainable, diversified, income generating, modernized, and competitive sector well-integrated into domestic and international markets. In this regard, the Government sought to promote the production and productivity of key food and tree crops, fisheries, forestry, and animal husbandry; increase domestic and sub-regional commerce; foster on- and off-farm diversification; and facilitate agro-processing and sustainable management of natural resources. The Statement of Policy Intent also recognized the necessity of crafting effective land administration, flexible land use planning approaches, adaptive sustainable land management practices, and other improvements. Program 2 will allow Liberian farmers and SMEs to be linked to input and output markets by roads and access to rural finance. These activities will lead a step-by-step approach to “farming as a business.” Program 3 will allow Liberian farmers to be served by efficient and diverse extension services provided by the MOA, NGOs, the private sector, and others with a focus on transfer of improved production, value addition, and marketing technologies.