The
Liberian deputy minister of agriculture, Dr Charles N.M. McClain, has said that
Africa imports more than US$35 billion of worth of food annually.
He
made this remark in an interviewed with The Point at the recently ended 3rd
technical regional steering committee meeting of West Africa Agricultural
Productivity Programme (WAAPP) held at Kairaba Beach Hotel.
The
Liberian representative at the high level meeting said this was why the
programmes like WAAPP and the African Development Bank were encouraged to make
sure that farmers in Africa begin to produce adequate food to curtail the
importation of food.
Dr
McClain said the money that is used to import such quantity of food could have
been use to develop Africa and to boost the agricultural sector.
As
part of activities on the sideline of the steering committee meeting, Dr
McClain and other participants had the chance to visit some vegetable gardens
and agricultural institutions in the country.
The
Liberian deputy minister said he was so impressed with the level of development
he saw at the Sukuta women’s vegetable garden, saying Liberia is also trying to
have such kind of big garden to cultivate vegetables such as onions and
tomatoes.
They
also visited the seed lab in Abuko were different kinds of seeds are tested
before they are distributed to farmers. The delegation also visited the National Agricultural Research Institute
in Brikama.
Dr
James Ocheme Apochi, national project coordinator WAAPP-Nigeria, said the
objective of WAAPP is to generate and disseminate technology, and improve
technology to create an opportunity for farmers.
He
said the visit to Sukuta women’s vegetable garden gave him a lot of
encouragements because in Nigeria, men are actually doing the vegetable garden.
