Cassava Farmers Appeal To Agriculture Ministry – For Support, Inclusion Into Project Activities By: Joe Fineboy- Contributor/R-Joe Ks; joefineboy2017@gmail.com

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Farmers in Juarzon Statutory District, Sinoe County and its surrounding towns and villages have called  on the Ministry of Agriculture for inclusion especially by prioritizing every Farmer Base Organizations, Community Base Organizations and or recognized cooperatives across the County.

The farmers during a forum stressed that Sinoe and other Counties in the Southeast are heavily involved in the planting of cassava, considering it as Liberia’s  second staple food. According to them, cassava also has ‘value addition’ on the world market; as such, they plant it similarly to that of rice annually.  Even though they highlighted the challenge in processing cassava to its value addition, but they are not weary in planting cassava every year because it takes longer time in the ground before decaying, compare to rice. The call by the farmers was made following an interactive exchange between local cassava farmers in the county and representatives of the National Cassava Sector Coordinating Committee (NCSCC), through the Sinoe County Management Team (S-CMT).  The farmers told reports that they feel marginalized in their communities when every year they are involved with the production of cassava, especially with the coordination of the National Cassava Sector Coordinating Committee through it County Management Team in the county; citing that national government and partners should join hands in providing the needed support for cassava, especially in the South East but with special emphasis on Sinoe County.  The farmers narrated that since the NCSCC began working with cassava farmers in Sinoe, the number of cassava farmers have increased over the years but only few have benefited from the NCSCC program. They underscore the need for more support to be given to them because they are many who are engaged into cassava farming but only few are benefiting. The hard working but unhappy farmers want more focus to be placed on farmers who are in the remote towns and villages to benefit hugely from the program because they are producing far more unlike those from the urban communities.  “There is enough cassava in every community that needs to be processed and marketed but there is a challenge beyond our control which  can’t be handle without national assistance, and if that is handle, we the farmers are still willing to produce more cassava” said one of the farmers.  Speaking to our correspondent in the county, farmers in Juarzon narrated that, every year they made cassava farm as a backup to their rice farm but they are not being included in terms  of providing assistance to support their production, alleging that those charged with the responsibility to identify or recognized farmers are being selective.  They also claimed that there are individuals who do not have farms but because of their alleged connections to those in charge of donor funds and government projects, they select them base on their connection without merit-based system as they continue to feel the pinch annually.  Meanwhile, The farmers use the medium to call on the NCSCC through its county management team to ensure equal distribution of whatever is meant for every cassava farmer across the County and  avoid the practice of being selective; adding that Sinoe County  has the potential to produce more cassava to help feed its population and even beyond.

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