…Says it is life
By: G Bennie Bravo Johnson I
The CEO and Founder of Liberia Feed Yourself Agriculture Initiative-Inc, James Kollie Galakpai has called on the incoming government, headed by president-elect Joseph Nyumah Boakai to make agriculture investment and food security a cardinal responsibility.
He asserted that agriculture is Life. Therefore, he wants the Boakai administration to take the lead in leading Liberians back to the soil to grow what we can eat.
Speaking to the Women’s Voices Newspaper via wassap, the founder of Liberia Feed Yourself Agriculture Initiative-Inc over the weekend, asserted that food security in Liberia has not been successful because of the negative perception associated with farmers.
He stated that to attain sustainable food security, the government must invest in agriculture activities by educating Liberians on the importance of agriculture, and providing subsidiaries to farmers.
“Over the years, agriculture has suffered from entrenched negative perceptions amongst Liberian youths. In the minds of many young individuals, Agriculture is a poor man’s work that involves backbreaking labor and insufficient financial gains.
This myth is the key factor why Liberia is lacking back in food proficiency.”
He said the myth is based largely on a misunderstanding of the range of opportunities available to young people in Agriculture and the numerous positive impacts youth actions have on the Agri-food systems.
Kollie Galakpai admonished young people to identify what he termed as the value chain entry points that align entrepreneur mindsets and skill sets to ensure food security and gainful employment for better socio-economic stability.
He continued by calling on the national government and international partners to encourage young people to get involved with agriculture.
Insinuating that it is the best way to solve the food insecurity faced by Liberia.
“The government needs to create the enabling environment that will motivate young people to get involved in agriculture because we need more youth in Agriculture and Agribusiness to help solve our food insecurity problems like the current Rice insufficiency problem and the high unemployment rate of our country while also boosting our economy.”
He intimated by admonishing the government to erect a Youth Desk at the Ministry of Agriculture of Liberia (MOA Liberia) to work closely with the Ministry of Youth and Sports, Partners, donors, and other government ministries and agencies in crafting, funding, implementing, monitoring and evaluating programs that will make Agriculture more attractive to Liberian Youth.
“To make this work, there is a very urgent need for the erection of a Youth Desk at the Ministry of Agriculture to work closely with the Ministry of Youth and Sports, Partners, donors, and other government ministries and agencies in crafting, funding, implementing monitoring and evaluating programs that will make Agriculture more attractive to our Liberian Youth.”
The farmer further added that the decentralization of such programs should highly be considered to make Agriculture attractive to Young people across the fifteen counties.
He asserted that erecting a Youth Desk at the Ministry of Agriculture is key to making Agriculture attractive and sexy to our youth and solving our food insecurity and high unemployment rate problems.
“Decentralization of such programs should highly be considered to make Agriculture sexy and attractive to Young people across the fifteen counties of our beloved Mama Liberia.
Erecting a Youth Desk at the Ministry of Agriculture of Liberia is key to making Agriculture attractive and sexy to our youth and solving our food insecurity and high unemployment rate problems.”
The CEO of Liberia Feed Yourself Agriculture Initiative-Inc continued by recommending to the government through the National Legislature to consider enacting a bill that will promote agriculture and encourage the influx of young people in the agriculture sector. He says it is to help the developmental agenda of Joseph Nyumah Boakai Sr president of the Republic of Liberia lead government.
“I’m appealing to the government through the Liberian Senate and representatives to declare Agriculture as a National Emergency under such declaration we create a bill titled, “Farmers’ Day” In that bill, every public school and college operating in Liberia should have her farm and teach Agriculture as major courses
The government should declare duty-free on every Agricultural equipment coming to Liberia. And as well as a fully funded scholarship program for all Agricultural students & provide capacity building training for all Agro-Enterprunuer in Liberia.”
