Acting Minister Precious K. Tetteh Dedicates 6 New Vehicles

Monrovia, (PMU-MoA) – October 21, 2019: The Acting Minister of Agriculture Mrs. Precious K. Tetteh says the government of President George Manneh Weah is committed to working with local and international partners to boost production in the agriculture sector. Speaking at the dedicatory ceremony of six new vehicles procured under the Tree Crop Extension Project (TCEP), Minister Tetteh noted that self-sufficiency in food production is a key priority under the Pro Poor Agenda for Prosperity and Development (PAPD).

She said, “the Ministry of Agriculture has put in placed a robust monitoring system to ensure that donor support are properly tracked and resources are properly channeled and utilize for the intended purpose . Over the years, many international organizations have provided support to the Agriculture sector but there are no tangible results because the system of monitoring has been weak”.

MinisterTetteh thanked the International Fund for Agricultural Development and other international donor agencies for support to the PAPD, noting that the government is appreciative and will continue to enhance this partnership for the overall good of smallholder farmers around the country.

Speaking earlier, the Project Coordinator of the IFAD Project Implementation Unit at the Ministry of Agriculture, Mr. Emmanuel G. Vah said the vehicles are intended to enhance the productivity of various units of the Tree Crops Extension Project (TCEP). He said, one vehicle will be assigned to the Central Agricultural Research Institute (CARI) to support their work in managing the National Seed Garden and the Agronomist compound in Beeplay, Nimba County.

Other institutions expected to benefit from the vehicles are the Cooperative Development Agency in Nimba County, the County Agriculture Coordination office and the project Implementation Unit in Sacleapea, Nimba County.

It can be recalled that the Ministry of Agriculture recently dedicated 23 motorbikes which have been assigned to the Young Professionals and Permanent Workers who are working as agriculture extension officers to support 11,000 smallholders cocoa farmers in the rehabilitation and revitalization of cocoa farms in the eight districts in Nimba County. The project will also support the rehabilitation of roads and provide temporary employment for about 600 residents along the cocoa value chain in the county