By O’Neill A.R. Philips
The Ministry of Agriculture (MoA), through its Rural Economic Transformation Project (RETRAP), has celebrated a bumper cassava harvest in Pokundu, Grand Cape Mount County.
The process marked the first of four pilot cassava cluster farms aimed at transitioning smallholder farmers from subsistence production to commercial agriculture.
Funded by the World Bank, the initiative commenced in 2024, with mechanized land clearing across 320 hectares.
Heavy-duty tractors prepared approximately 80 hectares at each site, introducing structured, large-scale farming practices to participating communities.
The Pokundu cluster comprises 50 organized farmers, each cultivating approximately 1.6 hectares.
Similar cluster farms are operational in Kakata Margibi County, Todee in Montserrado County and Zansue, Bong County.
Each 80-hectare cluster is projected to produce an estimated 1,600 metric tons of cassava, significantly strengthening domestic supply and expanding value chain opportunities.
Deputy Agriculture Minister for Planning and Development, David K. Akoi, described the harvest as a major milestone in the sector reform agenda.
“Today’s harvest marks a turning point in our efforts to transform agriculture from subsistence farming into a commercially-driven sector that creates income, jobs and opportunity for rural communities.”
He noted that the cluster model addresses long-standing constraints, including low productivity, limited market access, and weak rural infrastructure, by organizing farmers, strengthening value chains, and improving access to shared facilities such as feeder roads and storage.
Through RETRAP, the Ministry has organized farmers into productive clusters; strengthened value chains, and ensured that agriculture becomes a central pillar of economic transformation. Akoi added: “This harvest is one example that when we invest in our farmers, we invest in the future.”
RETRAP’s National Project Coordinator, Galah Toto, commended the farmers for their dedication and hard work.
World Food Program (WFP) Country Director, Dr. Agbessi Komla Amewoa, recommitted the Program to strengthen Liberia’s food systems.
WFP serves as an institutional buyer of locally produced commodities, including rice and cassava, purchasing directly from farmers to create reliable markets, and address a key constraint that has historically limited smallholder production.
A similar harvest was also launched in Zansue, Bong County, further demonstrating the expanding impact of the cluster farm model.
These cassava harvests highlight the tangible results of strong government leadership, strategic investment, and farmer dedication in advancing the journey toward a resilient, commercially-driven agricultural sector.
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