The Information Communications Technology specialist at the Central Agricultural Research Institute (CARI), Freeman Blackiie said energy supply at the only agricultural research station in the country is cardinal to scientific data collection processes.

Blackie made the disclosure when the US Ambassador led a delegation comprised of staff from the US Embassy and USAID in Monrovia, paid a courtesy visit to the institution in March 2022.

Craving for donors` intervention, the ICT specialist expressed fear that the lack of energy supply usually weakens the data collection process because without electricity to power these devices gather scientific data, weather spacing to enhance the smooth operation of farmers, especially in the wake of climate change, is a daunting challenge.

Blackie, who is also an agro-meteorologist, added that agro- meteorological technology now installed at CARI is collecting relative humidity, wind speed, and pressure, especially rainfall data which is very important to the cropping sector.

“The devices are not only collecting information, but they also analyze datasets before transmitting them to the scientists for decoding and processing for the technicians, farmers, and policymakers.

The Ministry of Transport, with a statutory mandate, heads the agro meteorology system in Liberia.

Mr. Blackie adds: “We are now struggling when it comes to climate change because these devices that were installed at CARI were built on an energy reserve. We need the energy to be able to sustain this equipment and at the time be able to get our data.”

He told the visiting ambassador and entourage that the US$8 million agro-meteorology project which was built to collect scientific data, is not going to function without proper internet connectivity.

The agro-meteorologist added: “Since the project was shut down and everything was turned over to the Government of Liberia, there has been no support when it comes to collecting data from this equipment. We have been using our meager resources because we want to get on top of issues around us.”

Also providing an overview during the US Ambassador and delegation's visit, Emmanuel Vah, coordinator of the IFAD-TCEP reveals that under the US$4.5 million grant, the Ministry of Agriculture is partnering with CARI to establish a national seed garden.

IFAD-TCEP, or International Fund for Agriculture Development–Tree Crops Extension Project, has established two seed gardens in Lofa and Nimba counties to adequately respond to existing bottlenecks that affect seed supply to out-growers and smallholders. 

Under this arrangement, the national seed garden is anticipated to be effective by 2024, and this considers tapping, and improving the seed gardens for good hybrids to increase productivity.

The 30.4-hectare national seed garden in Nimba County which is 174km away from CARI is already planted with rice and pepper.

Even though it is anticipated that 20 hectares of the top national seed garden will be used to plant, CARI’s calculation is that the 30.4 hectares will be sorted for the seed growing activity of farmers in Liberia for production and rehabilitation.

He maintains that as part of the initiative, an automatic weather station to determine rainfall, locate an agronomy building, or staff station to maintain crops, and a management building, are components of the national seed garden.

Also under the crops extension project, Vah noted that CARI is currently working with a number of cooperatives to supply strengthened materials and improve strengthened material hybrid to farmers.

Vah asserted: “Right now, we have catered to 7,700 farmers with a high breed that is fresh from Ghana. And this time, we heard about some outbreaks of diseases in Senegal.

The institution has multiplied six different categories of viable seeds at the community level, including the village nursery where the farmers get involved in raising and distributing the seedlings by, and to themselves, have had 578 seedlings to plant at one point, according to Vah.

Buttressing the Ministry of Agriculture’s decentralization plan, CARI is working with MOA district offices, using the district agriculture officers to provide extension services to farmers to be able to meet them at the field level and provide solutions to their problems.

He said: “District agriculture officers are on the field to provide extension services to smallholder farmers and out-growers to solve their problems, and also feed the research station with data.”

“We also engaged cooperatives, signed a memorandum of understanding, and have constructed four warehouses in Nimba County,” the project coordinator emphasized.

Emphasizing further, Vah said another component is that CARI is working with the Ministry of Public Works, and it has reached an MOU with the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) to rehabilitate and construct feeder roads for farmers to increase production and have access to the market through the private-public partnership arrangement.  Vah adds: “The arrangement is now in its advanced stage.”

Commenting earlier, Deputy Minister for Fiscal Affairs at the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning, Samora commended the management team at CARI for standing up to the task for which the institution was established.

“As a ministry, we need to do more as a government. We need to look at CARI at a point that we need to upgrade so that agriculture can now become more sustainable,” the Deputy Minister asserts.

Serving as proxy for Minster Samuel D. Tweah, Deputy Minister Wolokollie specifically points to the long standing partnership between CARI and development partners to ensure the development of the country.

Minister Wolokollie asserts: “I believe that because of the spirit of that team effort, this why all of us are here today to see what our heroes are doing. This has been a long conversation from last year; all of you have been wishing to come in the field to see how we can pick up in our coordination from here. “

The Deputy Minister assures Ambassador McCarthy that this is the beginning of the Government of Liberia and the development community working together to enhance food security.

“We need to have the same definition; you need to know what I am working on, and I also need to know what you’re working on. We believe that this initiative will ensure that we can sustain the definition of what development is in Liberia,” the Deputy Minister said.

CARI officials USAID and the US Embassy delegation along with officials from the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning and the Ministry of Agriculture

Earlier in a special remark, the US Ambassador appreciated the administration for welcoming him and his entourage and promised future collaboration with the research station.