The Liberia Program

The Liberia Program

Achievements over the last Three Years

MacArthur M. Pay-BayeeSustainable Tree Crops Program - Liberia

FUNDING SOURCES

2006

• USAID - $1.0 M

2007

• USAID - $2.0M

2008

• USAID – 6.314m ( - 2011)

• WB - 190k (2 year)

• USDA thru ACDI/VOCA - $1.25 (2 ½ years)

INTRODUCTIONLiberia’s Cocoa Sector

• First introduced to Liberia in the mid-1800’s

• Mostly smallholder crop in Bong, Grand Gedeh, Lofa and Nimba counties.

• Second largest Liberian export crop at 3.5% export earning, rubber first at 93% (2004)

• Poverty alleviation, job creation and overall socio-economic development

Cocoa harvested from a Liberian farm

Background – the Problems

• Age and general condition of trees – old stocks, disease infested, heavy shade, weeds, insects and pests

• Unclear governmental role

• Fluid security conditions

• Degenerated infrastructure

• Shortage of trained manpower

• Poor post-harvest practices and low quality of produce

Background – Prob. Cont’d

• Monosopny and designation of Liberian cocoa

• Shortage of improved planting materials

• Lack of training (for farmers)

• Lack of marketing infrastructure

• High prices of inputs

• Unscrupulous practices (LBA)

Sample – Liberian dried cocoa

Background – Some Possible Solutions

• Geographic location

• Cocoa rehabilitation and replanting

• FFS methodologies

• Improved planting materials

• Improved marketing

• policy

• Marketing Strategies & Access

PROGRAM ACHIEVEMENTS

BY STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES (SRs)

Strategic Result 1: Enhanced Productivity of Cocoa Farms Through

Intensification

• Baseline survey

• Initial coverage

• Farmer Field Schools on

• CARI seed garden

• Improved cocoa pods CNRA

Strategic Result 1: cont’d

• CARI & CNRA

• FFS cycles

• Improved cocoa planting materials courtesy of CRIG

• CARI and CRIG link

• Seedlings

Strategic Result 1: cont’d

• Plant genetist and seed garden

• Nursery for rootstock

• Additional programmatic areas • 65 facilitators, 61 FFS affecting 97

communities• Farmer to Farmer diffusion

Strategic Result 1: cont’d

• Distribution of improved cocoa planting materials to 6,339 farmers (2007 & 8 FFS graduates and FTF farmers) total trained thus 6,688 (also beneficiaries in responsible social behaviours)

• Seedlings transplanted to farms

One of several nurseries established by FFS graduates – Naii, Bonbg County

Strategic Result 2: Enhanced Marketing Efficiency in the cocoa sector

• Farmers’ Organizations with SOCODEVI

• Additional programmatic areas • Training• Development of SWOT and ODP• Price information at farmgates (MIS testing)

Strategic Result 3: Income Alternatives in cocoa growing communities & agro-

ecologies for equitable growth

• Cocoa Agro-forestry curriculum

• Oil Palm curriculum

• Curriculum testing

• Rubber initiative

• Small Ruminants

Strategic Result 4: Improved Policy Environment

• Policy-related workshops (Government roles and options in marketing)

• Policy briefs

• Cocoa Sector Technical Working Group

• Additional programmatic areas

• A demand-driven extension

EXCO Monrovia photo - Vice President, Boakai, Senator Findley, DGD Aseidu , FAO-Liberia Rep Hammond SSonai Ebai, Youth & Sport Minister Tarpeh, Acting Agriculture Minister Kandakai, to name a fewet al

Strategic result 4: cont’d

• Roundtable: cooperative development, laws and regulations

• Forum: marketing and production policy

• Bi-annual EXCO meeting

Tasks Ahead (now & beyond)• Rubber master plan for Liberia

• Policy briefs

• Demand-driven extension concept note

• Cooperative Development Agency (CDA).

• FFS & hybrid materials for graduates

• Seed garden

• FOS & grouped marketing

• MIS

• Backstopping IITA’s food crops endeavors

QUESTIONS?

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• THANK YOU!