Suakoko, Bong County – [Date] – In a significant advancement toward boosting food security and achieving self-sufficiency in rice production, the Ministry of Agriculture, through the Central Agricultural Research Institute (CARI), has unveiled two high-yield rice varieties identified as the top-performing strains in Liberia. This initiative is part of the government’s “Liberians Feed Yourselves Agenda” and aims to reduce the country’s dependence on imported rice significantly.

The new rice varieties were selected following the successful completion of an Observatory Yield Trial (OYT), which tested 20 different rice strains under the Korea-Africa Food & Agriculture Cooperation Initiative (KAFACI). Conducted at CARI’s research facility in Suakoko, Bong County, the trial evaluated each variety’s yield potential, resistance to pests and diseases, adaptability to Liberia’s climate, and grain quality.

The research findings highlighted KAFACI-3 (716.73g grain weight) and GHA-GA/APA (714.20g grain weight) as the highest-performing varieties. These foundation seeds, introduced to Liberia in October 2024 by Agriculture Minister Dr. J. Alexander Nuetah, were sourced from Kenya, Asia, and other global regions. Over the past four months, the varieties underwent disease screening, adaptation trials, and multiplication assessments at CARI to determine their suitability for large-scale cultivation.

During the scientific data presentation, Agriculture Minister Dr. J. Alexander Nuetah praised CARI’s research team for their dedication to agricultural research, emphasizing that Liberia must take charge of its food security efforts.

"I am happy today to see our scientists at CARI actively engaged in research. Liberia must take full responsibility for developing its agricultural sector. The era of dependence on others to do it for us is over. While partnerships are important, they should not replace our duty as a nation to drive agricultural research and development," he stated.

CARI’s Lead Scientist, Dr. Dolo, described the research findings as a significant breakthrough and stressed the need for Liberia to adopt high-yield, early-maturing rice varieties to improve productivity and ensure food security.

"Rice is our staple food, and we must prioritize its production. We need rice varieties that are high-yielding and early maturing. We cannot continue with varieties that produce only one to two tons per hectare and expect to be food secure. Our goal is to find rice that delivers higher yields on smaller plots, maximizing production efficiency," he explained.

As part of the event, a comprehensive food quality evaluation was conducted to assess the suitability of the new rice varieties for consumption. This process ensured that the selected high-yielding rice strains met consumer expectations for taste, texture, aroma, and cooking quality. Dignitaries, including Minister Nuetah, CARI’s Board members, and local stakeholders, sampled the cooked rice to assess its palatability.

The introduction of these top-performing rice varieties marks a major milestone in Liberia’s efforts to enhance food security and modernize its agricultural sector. In collaboration with local and international partners, the Ministry of Agriculture will focus on multiplying and distributing these high-yield rice seeds to farmers nationwide.

With these efforts, Liberia is boldly reducing its dependence on imported rice, strengthening local agricultural production, and achieving national food self-sufficiency.