Impressive Signs for Agriculture From 100-Day Deliverables -Groundbreaking Strides Set Basis for Near-Future Growth

MONROVIA: The Unity Party-led government has begun hatching its flagship development agenda, otherwise called ARREST for “Agriculture, Roads, Rule of Law, Education, Sanitation/Health & Tourism” by and through the implementation of its first 100 days in office. Agriculture, a major linchpin of the agenda, was included in the Government’s 100-Day Action Plan, with intentional interventions geared towards providing the needed catapult upon which the Boakai administration will surmount those stubborn challenges that have defied efforts to make this important sector a reliable centerpiece for national growth and prosperity. In its report on the implementation of the 100-Day Action Plan, the Government appears to make sensible inroads in the Agriculture Sector, zeroing in on those critical long-ignored fundamentals necessary to form solid basis for aggressive and successful agriculture program in the six years. The Analyst reports.

The Analyst has taken a glimpse at the report covering implementation and achievements of the Joseph Boakai-led Government’s 100-Day Action Plan, and it appears achievements, particularly in the agriculture sector, are outstanding.

Agriculture, which is widely credited as the driver of prosperity and growth in most economic and political jurisdictions, has been a nonentity in Liberia from the days of old, only handled with slogans and rhetoric by successive administrations.

To water the fundaments for rapid growth in the agriculture, the Boakai administration is making watershed commitments that include carrying out the Agricultural census and developing the National Agriculture Development Plan.

For the same objective, the government has initiated discussions on the establishment of an Agriculture and Industrial Development Bank (AIDB), and completing, validating and adopting Liberia food security strategy.

Meanwhile, the Government is reporting important achievements in the agriculture sector as a consequence of the implementation of the 100-Day Deliverables, conducting to completion the National Agricultural Census Exercise and completion of data collection with the data

analysis ongoing.

Still in the agriculture sector, the Boakai administration has reported that it has already drafted the National Agriculture Development Plan and it currently awaiting validation.

Another critical achievement by the Government, according to the 100-Day Action Plan, is the securing of a budgetary Seed Money as counterpart funding for the creation of Agriculture and

Enterprise Development Bank, something patterned after the pre-war Liberia Agriculture Bank which was a major fulcrum of progressive agriculture program in the country at the time.

Other achievements in agriculture during the government’s first 100 day is that the Food Security Strategy is at 95% completion rate, while University of Liberia Farm for the sole purpose of feeding

students, generating income and for practical training and research was launched and has begun cultivation.

Still in the Agriculture Sector, the Government has reported an important achievement during its 100 Day Action Plan and that is the Ministry of Agriculture beginning the cultivation of 1000 hectares of lowland at Fuamah Multipurpose Cooperative in Bong Mines.

The Unity Party Government embarked upon the implementation of its 100-Day Action Plan less than four months earlier after its inauguration on January 22, 2024, with the broad objective of creating immediate relief for the population of Liberia by making interventions in critical priority sectors.

The four mutually reinforcing strategic objectives of the Plan were enhance transparency and accountability in governance by implementing robust anti-corruption measures, enforcing the rule of law, strengthening financial oversight, and promoting ethical practices across all sectors to combat corruption effectively.

It was also a strategic objective of the Plan to improve infrastructure development and accessibility by prioritizing the maintenance of primary road corridors, enhancing sanitation services, upgrading ICT and meteorological equipment.

Another objective was to increase educational opportunities and combat drug and substance abuse by implementing immediate interventions to support quality education and provide support services for at-risk individuals.

The Plan also strived to support economic development through policy reforms and capacity building in agriculture, tourism, and commerce.