‘Back to the Soil’ Campaign Launched in Monrovia

Monrovia, Liberia - President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has reiterated her call for all Liberians to return to the soil and grow more food.

The President spoke today at the Samuel Kanyon Doe Sports Stadium in Paynesville at an official program marking the launch of the ‘Back to the Soil’ national agricultural campaign. She noted that while the international community is making efforts to tackle the global food crisis, it is expedient for Liberians to grow their own food, given the fertile land God has blessed the country with.

The Liberian leader has also ordered that all Government lands be made available throughout the country to be used for farm purposes, and she appealed to international partners to help Liberia in its quest to produce more food. The President further ordered the Ministry of Agriculture to deploy technicians in all 15 counties to help local inhabitants properly carry out productive farming.

Agriculture Minister Dr. J Chris Toe disclosed that the Government has taken several preliminary measures in an effort to fight the global food crisis. He stressed that it has put in place a waiver of all tariffs in the importation of rice and agricultural tools. Minister Toe added that his ministry has already put measures in place to establish warehouses in all 15 counties around the country and provide agricultural technicians to make the ‘Back to the Soil’ campaign a success.

The official launching of the ‘Back to the Soil’ national agricultural campaign was attended by thousands of Liberians including, senior officials of the three branches of Government, local Government officials and international partners.