By: J. Saye Suah/Grand Kru Correspondents
The Union of South-Eastern Farmers Federation (USEFF) has ended a daylong conference with farmers in Grand Kru County. The team leader of the association, Isaiah Dapaye, said the engagement dialogue focused on improved cash corps management system, climate and environment issues, as well as providing small grants for local farmers through agriculture loan schemes.
Speaking to the GNN in an interview, Dapaye said his institution sees the government of Liberia along with its international organizations as a potential partner in supporting local farmer’s initiatives in the south-eastern region of the country.
Dapaye challenged beneficiaries of the program to remain very supportive to thje union’s activities in their respective counties, saying that they, in authority, will continue to engage with other partners for agricultural sponsorship for farmers.
Mr. Dapaye furthered that the Union of South-Eastern Farmers Federation has established community farming groups in Grand Kru, Sinoe, River Gee, Maryland and Grand Gedeh counties respectively.
The team leader boasted of significant progress in general farm maintenance as well as planting skills that they have benefited from throughout the five counties.
He said radio engagement initiated by USEFF over the years have provided an essential learning crave for them in advancing agriculture productions, adding that from a based line survey conducted by them, fifteen communities in Grand Kru County have subscribed to USEFF.
Mr. Isaiah Dapaye also assured those farming groupings that have conformed to their initiatives of helping them to access low interest loans and to gain technical support to begin farming.
He added that the reception accorded them by farmers in Grand Kru is overwhelming, but stressed that limited education in cash crop farming is undermining the efforts of some farmers engage with cocoa plantations.
Dapaye revealed that some farmers in the region are suffering from losses due to the lack of advanced capacity training opportunities at the county and community levels.
Dapaye noted that in order to buttress the central government efforts, USEFF is developing a search engine called locality sensitive electronic agriculture database system, to adopt holistic approach to address these challenges within the farming sector.
The Union of South-Eastern Farmers Federation’s lead person further indicated that his prospects are to see farmers becoming a major contributor to the national economy, and said he wants to see farmers doing well in other sectors of the agricultural sectors in shifting the narrative on Liberians farmers in generating incomes to improve their livelihoods.
Meanwhile, the team leader admonished local farmers to see agriculture as business in transforming from subsistence farming to commercial farming.
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