The money is to empower rural-based youth in cassava, rice value chain development.
For that purpose, the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA), and the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) signed the US$1 million grant initiative to also build skills, and empower rural youths in agribusiness development.
The program is expected to last up to 2030, beginning with a pilot phase in Bong County.
During the signing ceremony on Tuesday, August 11, Agriculture Minister, Dr. J. Alexander Nuetah said, the agreement signifies government’s unwavering commitment to increase agriculture productivity while empowering youth in the agricultural sector.
The program will also encourage youth to directly focus on rice, and cassava value chain.
“Currently, government is determined to increase rice production, and with this development, we will attract more young people to cassava, and rice productions.”
Nuetah thanked KOICA, and promised government’s commitment to deliver the desired outcomes of the project. KOICA Country Director, Kim Eunsub said, the project is smaller in size now, but based on its success, it may cover the entire country.
Mr. Eunsub also disclosed plan for Liberians to pursue scholarship, and training programs in agriculture in Korea. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Officer in Charge, Godwin Cudjoe said, the program comes at an important time focusing on youth development in the agricultural sector. Cudjoe said, almost three out of every four Liberians are young people, who one of the Liberia’s greatest assets. The 2022 Population and Housing Census, put the young people population at 74.5 percent while those aged 15–35 alone account for 41.7 percent.
Based on the statistics, Cudjoe urged partners to create productive opportunities for young Liberians to acquire skills, establish businesses and earn decent incomes.
He emphasized the need for Liberia to make the rice, and cassava value chains commercially attractive, technologically strong, and capable of generating decent employment.
The project is titled: Green Jobs for Youth in Resilient Agrifood Systems. It runs in Nigeria, and Sierra Leone as well.
In Liberia, FAO, and MoA will jointly implement the project.
For that, several partners in the agriculture, and youth sectors, including the Ministry of Youth and Sports, Ministry of Finance and Development Planning, National Cassava Steering Committee, Rice Federation attended the ceremony.
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