Monrovia, (PMU-MoA) – October 22, 2019: The Ministry of Agriculture has provided support to the Cooperative Development Agency to strengthen the training and capacity building function of the agency. In a Memorandum of Understanding signed at the Project Management Unit outside Monrovia on Tuesday, The CDA will build the capacity of existing cooperative societies and establish additional farmers’ Cooperatives in the eight statutory districts in Nimba County.

The Registrar General of Farmers’ Cooperatives in the Republic of Liberia Madam Regina Sokan-Teah signed for the CDA while the Project Coordinator for the International Fund for Agricultural Development implementation Unit at the Ministry of Agriculture, Mr. Emmanuel G. Vah signed on behalf of the project.

Under the agreement, the CDA will assess the capacity of farmer groups in the county and provide the requisite training in financial management, good governance and provide training in the context of International Cooperative principles and best practices with the aim of making farmer’s cooperatives in Liberia viable and increase their profit margin. The CDA will also submit quarterly and annual reports on all activities implemented and a subsequent acceptable indicative work plan and budget for approval.

According to the MOU, the CDA will conduct audits of farmers’ cooperatives to ensure that they are in conformity with prudent financial discipline, accountability, transparency, managerial and economic growth through private sector development as well as helping to update the constitution and by-laws of all cooperatives in the country.

Speaking in brief remarks at the signing ceremony held at the Ministry of Agriculture Project Management Unit outside Monrovia, Madam Regina Sokan-Teah said the CDA remains committed to building strong farmers’ cooperative societies around the country to compete positively with their counterparts in the region and other parts of the world.

For his part, the Project Coordinator Emmanuel G. Vah expressed satisfaction that the collaboration with the CDA will open a new window of opportunity for increased productivity in the agricultural sector. He presented a four wheel Toyota twin carbine pickup to the CDA to facilitate their movement in the county.

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