Liberia’s Cocoa Sector,Problems associated with liberia's cocoa sector and solutions,strategic objectives of achieving the program

1. The Liberia Program
Achievements over the last Three Years
MacArthur M. Pay-Bayee
Sustainable Tree Crops Program - Liberia

2. FUNDING SOURCES
2006
• USAID - $1.0 M
2007
• USAID - $2.0M
2008
• USAID – 6.314m ( - 2011)
• WB - 190k (2 year)
• USDA thru ACDI/VOCA - $1.25 (2 ½ years)

3. INTRODUCTION
Liberia’s Cocoa Sector
• First introduced to Liberia in the mid-1800’s
• Mostly smallholder crop in Bong, Grand Gedeh,
Lofa and Nimba counties.
• Second largest Liberian export crop at 3.5%
export earning, rubber first at 93% (2004)
• Poverty alleviation, job creation and overall socio-
economic development

4. Cocoa harvested from a Liberian farm

5. Background – the Problems
• Age and general condition of trees – old stocks,
disease infested, heavy shade, weeds, insects and
pests
• Unclear governmental role
• Fluid security conditions
• Degenerated infrastructure
• Shortage of trained manpower
• Poor post-harvest practices and low quality of
produce

6. Background – Prob. Cont’d
• Monosopny and designation of Liberian cocoa
• Shortage of improved planting materials
• Lack of training (for farmers)
• Lack of marketing infrastructure
• High prices of inputs
• Unscrupulous practices (LBA)

7. Sample – Liberian dried cocoa

8. Background – Some Possible Solutions
• Geographic location
• Cocoa rehabilitation and replanting
• FFS methodologies
• Improved planting materials
• Improved marketing
• policy
• Marketing Strategies & Access

9. PROGRAM ACHIEVEMENTS
BY STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES (SRs)

10. Strategic Result 1: Enhanced
Productivity of Cocoa Farms Through
Intensification
• Baseline survey
• Initial coverage
• Farmer Field Schools on
• CARI seed garden
• Improved cocoa pods CNRA

11. Strategic Result 1: cont’d
• CARI & CNRA
• FFS cycles
• Improved cocoa planting materials courtesy of
CRIG
• CARI and CRIG link
• Seedlings

12. Strategic Result 1: cont’d
• Plant genetist and seed garden
• Nursery for rootstock
• Additional programmatic areas
• 65 facilitators, 61 FFS affecting 97
communities
• Farmer to Farmer diffusion

13. Strategic Result 1: cont’d
• Distribution of improved cocoa planting
materials to 6,339 farmers (2007 & 8 FFS
graduates and FTF farmers) total trained thus
6,688 (also beneficiaries in responsible social
behaviours)
• Seedlings transplanted to farms

14. One of several nurseries established by
FFS graduates – Naii, Bonbg County

15. Strategic Result 2: Enhanced Marketing
Efficiency in the cocoa sector
• Farmers’ Organizations with SOCODEVI
• Additional programmatic areas
• Training
• Development of SWOT and ODP
• Price information at farmgates (MIS testing)

17. Strategic Result 3: Income Alternatives in
cocoa growing communities & agro-
ecologies for equitable growth
• Cocoa Agro-forestry curriculum
• Oil Palm curriculum
• Curriculum testing
• Rubber initiative
• Small Ruminants

18. Strategic Result 4: Improved
Policy Environment
• Policy-related workshops (Government roles and
options in marketing)
• Policy briefs
• Cocoa Sector Technical Working Group
• Additional programmatic areas
• A demand-driven extension

19. EXCO Monrovia photo - Vice President, Boakai, Senator Findley, DGD Aseidu , FAO-Liberia Rep Hammond S
Sonai Ebai, Youth & Sport Minister Tarpeh, Acting Agriculture Minister Kandakai, to name a fewet al

20. Strategic result 4: cont’d
• Roundtable: cooperative development, laws
and regulations
• Forum: marketing and production policy
• Bi-annual EXCO meeting

21. Tasks Ahead (now & beyond)
• Rubber master plan for Liberia
• Policy briefs
• Demand-driven extension concept note
• Cooperative Development Agency (CDA).
• FFS & hybrid materials for graduates
• Seed garden
• FOS & grouped marketing
• MIS
• Backstopping IITA’s food crops endeavors

22. QUESTIONS?
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• THANK YOU!