By Samuel Flomo, Jr.
The Minister of Agriculture, Dr. J. Alexander Nuetah, has praised remarkable progress of farmers in Panta and Zota Districts, describing their achievements as a powerful signal of the country’s emerging agricultural transformation.
Minister Nuetah is currently on a five-day assessment tour of Bong County, focusing on strengthening rice production under key initiatives such as the IFAD-backed Building Climate Resilience for Food Security (BCRP) project.
Under this program alone, 400 hectares of rice are being cultivated in Bong County, with possibilities for expansion as farmer capacity and land availability improve.
Innovative, community-led models like the Panta Pride Group are also playing a catalytic role in mobilizing local farmers and energizing production efforts across rural communities.
Walking through newly developed paddy fields, Minister Nuetah expressed admiration for the scale and quality of work being carried out.
“I was amazed to see 100 acres developed through full mechanization the first of its kind I have witnessed in recent years,” he said.
“I also visited a 30-hectare field in Gbarnga-Siaquelleh and several demonstration farms.
The progress is impressive, and we intend to replicate this excellence in other areas,” he noted.
According to him, Bong County is once again positioning itself as one of Liberia’s traditional agricultural powerhouses with Panta and Zota demonstrating what committed farmers can accomplish when supported with the right tools and technical guidance.
“The motivation from farmers in Zota and Panta is inspiring,” he noted.
“With groups like Panta Pride leading the charge, Bong County is on track to become Liberia’s top rice-producing region.”
Minister Nuetah linked Bong County’s gains to encouraging national trends. A recent assessment supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation revealed that 49% of Liberia’s rice consumption in 2024 was supplied by local farmers.
The country is now projecting a 70% reduction in rice imports by 2029.
The Minister also highlighted a World Bank report released in late October, which confirmed continued growth in domestic rice production in 2024, with even stronger yields projected by 2026
“Some farmers are exceeding expectations, their productivity is rising, and we want others across the country to follow their lead,” he added.
One of the sector’s biggest hurdles post-harvest loss is being tackled head-on through the Ministry’s Post-Harvest Management Strategy, finalized last year.
The strategy aims to reduce losses by at least 5% through improved storage and increased access to modern equipment such as threshers.
“Many farmers still harvest with small knives, and that contributes to unnecessary losses,” Minister Nuetah emphasized.
“We are introducing better tools and practices to change that.”
A major milestone in Bong County’s modernization effort is the ongoing construction of a mechanization center, which will provide access to essential production machinery, including combine harvesters and processing tools further boosting efficiency and output.
Minister Nuetah’s engagements across Bong County reaffirm the growing momentum within Liberia’s agricultural sector.
With rising farmer motivation, expanding mechanization and stronger partnerships between communities and development agencies, Bong County is quickly emerging as a national model for agricultural renewal.
The Ministry of Agriculture remains committed to scaling these successes across all counties as Liberia steadily advances toward long-term food security and reduced reliance on imported rice.