KPAI DISTRICT, BONG COUNTY – In a nation grappling with food insecurity, soaring youth unemployment, and an overreliance on imported goods, a bold agricultural venture in Bong County is quietly rewriting Liberia’s development script—plot by plot, harvest by harvest.
Established in 2014 by seasoned agro-entrepreneur Nyamah G. Dunbar, SANKOFA Farm has evolved from a small-scale cassava effort into Liberia’s leading vegetable cultivation initiative. Now spanning 650 acres—with over 350 acres actively producing—SANKOFA is charting a path toward local food sufficiency and rural empowerment.
From Cassava Fields to National Impact
“When we began, it was just seven of us with cutlasses—no tractors, no backing, just grit,” Dunbar recalled. The team originally planted cassava in Margibi County due to limited access to Palala, Bong County. For years, growth was slow and unsupported. That changed in 2022–2023 when the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) and the Liberia Agriculture Commercialization Fund (LACF) provided strategic funding and technical assistance.
Their support came at a time when Liberia, according to the World Bank, was importing over 60% of its food supply, despite 41% of its labor force working in agriculture (World Bank, 2023). SANKOFA’s pivot toward mechanized, climate-resilient horticulture responded directly to this national imbalance.
Government Support Sparks Breakthrough
Through the LACF grant, SANKOFA gained support across three vital areas: machinery, farming inputs, and post-harvest infrastructure. The delivery of a tractor ended the exhausting manual land clearing process. High-quality seeds, organic fertilizers, and irrigation systems transformed yields. The cherry on top: a modern flash-cooling and produce sales center in Omega, near Monrovia, designed to combat post-harvest loss and unfair market pricing.
“Before, we’d carry vegetables to Monrovia only to be stuck at Gobachop market. The cooling center gives us leverage—it preserves our crops and strengthens our bargaining power,” said Dunbar.
The funding came with safeguards: disbursements went directly to equipment vendors, and both LACF and the Ministry enforced strict audits—ensuring transparency and impact.
Feeding Liberia with Local Vegetables
SANKOFA Farm now grows over a dozen crops, including tomatoes, okra, cucumbers, peppers (hot and bell), lettuce, cabbage, cassava, watermelon, beans, carrots, corn, and the popular Liberian bitter ball (African eggplant). Unlike Liberia’s historical emphasis on rubber and rice, SANKOFA is betting on high-demand, perishable vegetables—a sector still largely underdeveloped across West Africa.
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), West Africa imports more than $4 billion in vegetables annually, with tomatoes and onions among the top imports (FAO, 2023). In Liberia alone, supermarkets and markets are flooded with foreign-grown tomatoes and lettuce. “This makes no sense,” Dunbar said. “We can grow these crops ourselves. But we must decentralize—let’s create value right where the food is grown.”
She sources seeds from the Songhai Center in Benin, one of West Africa’s premier agricultural research institutes, to bypass unreliable local markets. “Too many farmers lose everything because of fake seeds,” she warned.
Mechanization: From Machetes to Machines
The farm’s current scale and efficiency are credited largely to its technical director, Kousse Mamidou, a Beninese expert who relocated to Liberia in 2013. Since assuming leadership in Kpai District in 2018, Mamidou has spearheaded mechanization efforts and optimized farm infrastructure.
“In the past, we took a month to brush a single field. Now, with tractors and power tillers from the MOA, that takes just an hour,” he said.
Additional support included solar-powered irrigation, pest control sprayers, plastic mulch to curb weeds, and certified seedlings. One okra field alone now yields more than 2,000 pounds weekly, sold at 300 Liberian Dollars (about $1.60) per pound.
A Living Classroom: Building Youth and Women’s Skills
Beyond growing crops, SANKOFA is cultivating Liberia’s next generation of farmers. It serves as a practical training ground for students from Booker Washington Institute (BWI) and nearby communities. Courses in tractor operation, organic farming, and composting end with certificates and job skills. Each training cycle enrolls 25–45 participants—mostly young people, women, and older men employed under short- and long-term contracts.
“We are not just teaching theory. They leave here with hands-on knowledge and opportunities,” Mamidou emphasized.
Real Stories, Real Change: The Workers’ Testimonies
Behind the impressive numbers are people whose lives are changing—one paycheck, one harvest at a time.
Annie Connor: “We want our boss to keep leading us. Let him not give up. The farm is helping us live.”
Betty George: “Many women here—our children’s fathers don’t help. Our pay helps with school fees and food. We just ask for boots and raincoats for the rainy season.”
Saye Kerkulah: “I support my parents with my pay. But we need more tools—gloves, boots, rain gear. The soil gives money if we work it.”
Joe Sumo (Gbarnga): “What we learn here, we carry home. Let young people take agriculture seriously. The soil gives knowledge.”
Persistent Challenges and Strategic Needs
Despite impressive gains, significant obstacles remain. Transportation costs remain steep due to poor road infrastructure. Rural cold storage is still lacking. There’s also a continued shortage of tractors, tools, and quality seed, while predatory middlemen underprice farm products.
Dunbar argues that while government support is crucial, lasting change requires enabling policy: “Government shouldn’t do everything—it should enable everything. Create room for private actors and make rural markets functional.”
A Plea for Policy Reform and Partnerships
To scale and replicate its success, SANKOFA is urging the government—particularly the MOA—to deepen its partnerships and adopt long-term strategies. “Our success isn’t a miracle,” Dunbar stressed. “It’s a model. And models can be scaled. We need more tractors, more cold chains, and more training centers.”
Recommendations to the Ministry of Agriculture
SANKOFA and its community recommend the following actions for sustainable growth:
Farming a New Future for Liberia
SANKOFA is more than a farm—it is a proof of concept for Liberia’s agricultural self-sufficiency. It challenges the status quo in a country where even basic produce is imported, and young people see agriculture as a last resort.
As Mamidou puts it, “The soil is rich. The youth are ready. With the right support, we can farm
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