MONROVIA – Senator Amara Konneh of Gbarpolu County has raised serious concerns over what he describes as the persistent underfunding of Liberia’s agriculture sector, warning that continued neglect could undermine economic growth, rural livelihoods, and the core objectives of President Joseph Nyuma Boakai’s ARREST agenda. In a detailed write-up released as Part Two of his budget analysis, the senator called on the Senate not to rush concurrence with the national budget passed by the House of Representatives.
Konneh noted that President Boakai has consistently projected himself as an “agricultural president,” with agriculture identified as the first pillar of the ARREST agenda. Despite this, he said the sector’s share of the national budget has remained below two percent as the administration enters its third year, with projections indicating a further decline in the FY2026 fiscal year. According to him, the House approved the budget without addressing this contradiction.
“Agriculture is the lifeblood of rural communities, the region many of us represent in the Legislature,” Senator Konneh wrote, emphasizing that the sector remains Liberia’s largest employer, sustaining nearly half of the workforce through smallholder and subsistence farming, including rubber, cocoa, and palm oil. He stressed that such a critical sector should not be subjected to unstable and inconsistent budgetary treatment.
The senator pointed out that while the agriculture budget appeared to rise sharply in FY2025, the increase was largely superficial. He disclosed that $1.2 million was diverted from core agricultural programs to non-agriculture ministries, leaving actual execution far below what was announced. By October 31, 2025, only $9.8 million of the $16.7 million budgeted had been utilized within the sector.
Konneh further revealed that in the draft FY2026 budget submitted by President Boakai, agriculture allocations dropped by 18 percent to $13.6 million, reducing the sector’s share to just 1.1 percent of the total $1.21 billion national budget. He described the decline as alarming, especially at a time when the administration is promoting agriculture-led development.
“Rubber development continues to receive minimal funding, below $150,000 annually, despite its potential to support diversification and rural incomes,” he stated, adding that research funding through the Central Agricultural Research Institute remains disproportionately low compared to administrative costs, limiting innovation and productivity.
The senator also highlighted what he called a troubling gap between policy commitments and actual financing. He recalled that President Boakai endorsed the National Agriculture Development Plan, a six-year strategy aimed at achieving 70 percent rice self-sufficiency within five years, with an estimated cost of $718 million. However, Konneh noted that between FY2024 and FY2026, only about $35 million has been committed to the plan.
“This reflects a pattern of ambitious planning without credible implementation,” Konneh said, warning that agriculture cannot serve as the foundation of inclusive growth if funding remains symbolic rather than substantive.
He expressed concern that while allocations for administration and management within the sector continue to rise, funding for value chain development and research remains volatile or declines. According to him, this imbalance weakens service delivery and undermines long-term planning under the ARREST framework.
Turning directly to the Senate’s role, Konneh urged his colleagues not to concur with the House-approved budget in its current form. “To help President Boakai truly position agriculture as the cornerstone of his ARREST agenda, the Senate should not concur with the House version of the budget,” he wrote.
He called for increased agriculture funding, strict enforcement to prevent diversion of sectoral allocations, stronger investment in research and value chains, and stable multi-year funding to ensure continuity and impact. He stressed that credible budgeting must be matched with disciplined execution.
“Agriculture, the first pillar of President Boakai’s ARREST agenda, is the only sector whose budget was reduced in the draft 2026 budget, despite a billion-dollar national budget,” Senator Konneh concluded. “It is now up to us in the Senate to correct this. We must use this opportunity to fix things in our country intentionally.”
He encouraged public engagement in the budget debate, noting that the budget is a public document and that open discussion strengthens democracy. Konneh indicated that his next focus would be the health sector, as part of a broader push for budget credibility and national development.
