By Joseph O. Sayon
The Farmer Union Network of Liberia (FUN) is calling on the government of Liberia to begin to allocate ten percent of the National Budget to the agriculture sector in fulfillment of the Maputu and Malabo Declarations.
African Governments and Heads of States in 2003 endorsed the Maputu Declaration with the aim of promoting agriculture and food Security on the Continent by committing at least ten percent of their respective budgetary resources to agriculture and rural development policy implementation.
The move by the African Leaders is to ensure food security and improving the social, cultural and economic well-being of their people. After the endorsement of the Maputu Declaration in 2003, African Heads of States convened another submit in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea in 2014 to access and evaluates the level at which members states were in compliance.
The Farmer Union noted that since the Maputu Declaration came into force, the Liberian Government which is a Legitimate Signatory to the document has failed to adhere to Declaration by ignoring the appropriation of at least ten percent in the National Budget for the agricultural sector.
The Farmer Organization emphasized that additional budgetary support especially the implementation of the ten percent concept introduce by the African Heads of States is crucial to making Liberia self-sufficient in food production.
New bill
Owing to the underdevelopment of Liberia’s agricultural Sector, FUN has embarked on an advocacy campaign resulting into the crafting of the Agriculture Appropriation Bill to soon be submitted to the Legislature for consideration.
The bill seeks to commit the government of Liberia to allocate ten percent of the National Budget to the development of the Agricultural sector consistent with the Maputu Declaration.
The President of the Farmer Union Network of Liberia, Josephine Francis, said the Liberian Government as a signatory to the Maputu Declarations must muster the courage to action regarding the implementation of the document upholding the ten percent endorsed by Liberia and other African Countries.
Madam Francis said if Liberia is to realize food security, the government must respect the Maputu declaration by giving serious consideration to the improving the agricultural sector.
She noted that farmers must have their say in the decision making framework of the Country because they understand the day to day problems of the people.
Madam Francis said because of the weaknesses of the private sector, Liberia does not have the kind of agriculture implements that are used to stimulate the agricultural sector, describing the sector as a beacon of hope for any nation.
The former Montserrado County District one Representative said the purpose of the draft 2019 Agriculture Appropriation Bill is to solicit funding to empower farmers and ensure the importation of the needed farming tools in the Country.
Continuous advocacy
Also speaking the Farmer Union of Liberia National Coordinator, Julius Bass said his organization will not rest with its advocacy until the government can see reason to allot the ten percent of the budget to the agriculture sector.
Mr. Bass said agriculture has been given ‘lip service’ by not just this government and as such FUN was undertaking a advocacy campaign to influence policy decision that will ensure that the Government of Liberia take practical action by supporting the agricultural sector through the National Budget
He believes that the appropriation of the ten percent in the Budget for the agriculture sector will ensure food security and reduce the burden of food importation on Government.
Mr. Bass said since the document was endorsed in 2003, other Africa Countries have been making head ways while Liberia continues to lack behind in the realization of its commitment to improving food security.
They spoke Saturday April 27, 2019 at a one day validation workshop on the Agriculture Appropriation bill organized by the Farmer Union Network of Liberia with support from Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA).
The workshop was attended by farmers from eight of the fifteen Counties of Liberia including Grand Bassa, Rivercess, Gbarpolu, Bong, Nimba, Margibi and Montserrado Counties among others.
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