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Liberians Must Grow Food, Not Receive Food, WFP Rep. Urges

The NEWS (Monrovia)
NEWS
September 10, 2004
Posted to the web September 10, 2004
Cape Mount County
The Country Representative of the United Nations World Food Program (WFP),
Joshau Bagirisha says he wants for every Liberian to grow food and not to be at
the receiving end.
Mr. Bagirisha said Liberians have the potentials to become self sufficient in
food production provided they are supported.
He said what he has seen in the field gives him the impression that Liberians
can grow food to feed themselves instead of being at the receiving end.
The WFP Country Representative spoke Thursday at Welor in Grand Cape Mount
County during emergency agriculture rehabilitation project funded by Japan/
Platform through World Vision Liberia (WVL) with food and seeds inputs from the
WFP.
The program was part of an agricultural assessment in the county. The Country
Director of WVL, Etmonia Tarpeh led a delegation of WFP and Japan/Platform
staff to Cape Mount.
Mr. Bagirisha said emergency agriculture projects are important, specifically
for returnees and Liberian farmers to encourage them graduate from assistance
programs to self sufficiency.
"What I wish, is for every Liberian not to receive food aid, but for every
Liberian to grow good that would make them self supporting," the WFP Country
Representative emphasized.
He disclosed that WFP currently provides food assistance to more than 300,000
Liberians at displaced camps, and an additional 300,000 Liberian refugees are
also being supported by WFP.
Mr. Bagirisha lauded the collaboration between the WVL, Japan/Platform and his
institution in providing tools, seeds and other agricultural assistance to
Liberian farmers.
WVL's Manager, Morris Fahnbulleh said the organization has distributed more
than 1,543 metric tons of assorted seeds, food and other agricultural tools to
farmers in the county.
He said the WVL, in collaboration with WFP and Japan/Platform has also
distributed 15,000 cutlasses, 10,000 holes, risk, and more than 15,000 tons of
seeds to farmers.
The farmers of the country commended WFP, WVL and Japan/Platform for their
assistance, and urged them to continue the support.

   

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