[Monrovia, Liberia, January 28, 2025] – The Ministry of Agriculture has donated a large quantity of locally grown food items to the Ministry of Health to support hospitals across the country. The donation, which includes 100 bags of 50 kg rice, 10 bags of gari, three bags of beans commonly known as “Kpaku torweh,” and organic baby food, is part of the government’s “Liberians Feed Yourselves Agenda” aimed at promoting local food production and consumption.

Agriculture Minister Dr. J. Alexander Nuetah highlighted the initiative’s significance at the donation. “In July of last year, we launched the ‘Liberians Feed Yourselves Agenda’ to encourage Liberians to produce and eat what we grow,” Dr. Nuetah stated. "Last year, we produced rice from our farmers and purchased some. Given that the Ministry of Health oversees hospitals in the country, we felt it was appropriate to donate these items to support patients and promote our farmers' efforts. It is a donation from the government to encourage our Liberian people to begin eating what we are growing in this country."

Dr. Nuetah further explained that the gesture encourages vendors and hospitals to prioritize buying from local farmers, highlighting the nutritional value of the donated items. He added that the initiative also boosts agricultural production and improves livelihoods. “We also want to encourage your vendors to start buying from our farmers and feeding our hospitals, knowing that locally produced rice is nutritious and organic and that our farmers do not use fertilizer most of the time.  This also incentivizes our farmers by buying what they are growing. If we do that, we will grow more to feed ourselves, and our farmers will generate income that can improve their livelihoods.”. 

Receiving the items, Health Minister Dr. Louise Kpoto expressed profound gratitude and emphasized the importance of agriculture in addressing healthcare challenges. "It is with immense gratitude that I accept this generous donation," Dr. Kpoto stated. “You have proven health care is everybody’s responsibility.  You saw the need in this particular sector and came to our aid. You can rest assured that the items will be utilized for the people of Liberia, especially the patients in the hospitals.”

Dr. Kpoto also used the opportunity to suggest plans to explore the possibility of producing food for malnourished children using local ingredients such as rice, beans, beniseed, and oil in Liberia. Inspired by a successful initiative in Sierra Leone, she noted the potential for such a program to create jobs and combat malnutrition. “We saw a factory in Sierra Leone producing “Benimix,” a nutritious food for malnourished children, using low-cost machinery.  We want to see how we can engage farmers in this venture, which could be a work opportunity to employ Liberians and produce our own food for the malnourished,” she explained.

In a related gesture, the Ministry of Agriculture also donated 50 bags of rice to the Ministry of Justice to feed inmates in correctional facilities.

These donations underscore the government’s unwavering commitment to fostering food security, promoting local agriculture, and improving healthcare delivery and the justice system in Liberia.