An opinion by James Kollie Galakpai
Agriculture suffers from entrenched negative perceptions among Liberian youths. In the minds of many young individuals, agriculture is a poor man’s work that involves backbreaking labor and insufficient financial gains.
This myth is based largely on a misunderstanding of the range of opportunities available to young people in Agriculture and the numerous positive impacts youth actions have on the Agri-food systems. As a youth, identifying the value chain entry points, and aligning entrepreneur mindsets and skill sets in order to ensure food security and gainful employment for better socio-economic stability cannot be overemphasized.
We need more youth in Agriculture and Agribusiness to help solve our food insecurity problems like the current Rice insufficiency problem and the high unemployment rate of our country while also boosting our economy.
To make this work, there is a very urgent need for the erection of a Youth Desk at the Ministry of Agriculture of Liberia (MOA Liberia) to work closely with the ministry of youth and Sports, Partners, donors, and other government ministries and agencies in crafting, funding, implementing monitoring and evaluating programs that will make Agriculture more attractive to our Liberian Youth.
Decentralization of such programs should highly be considered in order to make Agriculture sexy and attractive to Young people across the fifteen (15) counties of our beloved Mama Liberia.
Erecting a Youth Desk at the Ministry of Agriculture of Liberia (MOA Liberia) is key to making Agriculture attractive and sexy to our youth and solving our food insecurity and high unemployment rate problems.
We need more youth in Agriculture because the Future needs Real Food and the youth are key players in boosting our economy.
Liberia Feed Yourself Agriculture Initiative-Inc is recommending to the government of Liberia take the following into consideration in order to help the developmental agenda of the PRO POOR AGENDA FOR PROSPERITY:
I’m appealing to the government through the Liberian Senates and representatives to declare Agriculture as National Emergency under such declaration we create a bill titled, “Farmers’ Day” in that bill :
A. Every presidential appointee should own a farm
B. Every public school and college operating in Liberia should have its own farm and teach Agriculture as a major course.
- Government should declare duty-free on every Agricultural equipment coming to Liberia
- Liberia should invest in mechanizing farming.
E. Full founded a scholarship program for all Agricultural students & provide capacity building training for all Agro-Enterprunuer in Liberia.
- The highest producers of our Staples food yearly should be awarded the following:
- Pickup
- Power tiller
- Tractor.
- Prize of $10,000 USD
- Farmers should have easier access to loan, Grant, media, good marking system where the government will take the responsibility to buy them produces, process it, and sell it into the Liberian market and other countries in the world.
- Availability of storage facilities and large good Banks.
- National Agriculture & Food Museum will attract tourists to Agri Tourism.
To know the local foods we grow here and eat, how they can grow, and who are the farmers and value chain actors that are largely into that.
- Hosting of Miss & Mr. Agribusiness and the winners can get a financial prize that can either Support their existing Agribusiness.
The best farmers’ of the year photo and statue can be erected there too…
When the government of Liberia provides all these opportunities for local Farmers, for Liberia and Liberians to feed themselves we will need to do mechanized Farming…..not traditional farming.
This will encourage the Youth of this country to get involved in Agribusiness and grow what we can eat, that alone will help reduce tension between the government and leaders of the country.
There Will be competition amongst farmers or producers of our Staples food Rice, when it is done we stop the importation of foreign food like rice in Liberia it will also help increase job creation and youth Empowerment.
The soil in China and India are now depreciating or dropping in value for that reason they are now using hard chemical to produce all Agroimport in their country on the other hand in Liberia for us our soil is still rich we use it without using hard chemical
Let’s do this and see annually whether Liberians will not get involved in farming and Agriculture to feed the world.
