The Director General of the Liberia Institute of Statistics and Geo- Information Services Richard F. Ngafuan has disclosed Nimba County as Liberia’s newest bread and basket.
The disclsore was made on Thursday, December 12, 2024 following a comprehensive results from the Liberia Agriculture Census which the Director General stated is one of LISGIS’s most significant achievements in 2024 .
The conduct of the census, Mr. Ngafuan indicated provided invaluable insights into the agricultural landscape of the country.
He told the media that the census identified 338,630 agricultural households, with the highest concentrations in Nimba (21.4%), while Bong (16.7%), and former Bread and Basket of Liberia Lofa in third position with (12.7%) Counties.
According to him, The comprehensive dataset highlights the dominance of crop cultivation as an agricultural activity, practiced by nearly 99% of households.
Releasing the report , Mr. Ngafuan stated that Rice and cassava emerged as the most cultivated crops, grown by 56.3% and 45.9% of households, respectively.
However, he inidcated that the census also revealed critical challenges facing Liberia’s agricultural sector.
“Only 2.3% of agricultural holdings utilize irrigation systems, reflecting a reliance on rain-fed farming and a pressing need for investment in irrigation technologies”, he further explained.
The census, he re-emphasized further highlighted disparities in education levels among household heads, with 64.5% of female heads having no formal education, compared to 38.3% of male heads.
At the same time, he pointed out that the data underscores the importance of targeted interventions to enhance productivity and inclusivity in agriculture.
“The findings also shed light on livestock and poultry farming, with households collectively raising over 444,000 chickens and 67,000 goats and the reliance on traditional tools such as cutlasses (used by 94.1% of households) and hand hoes (87.2%) underscores the need for modernization and mechanization in the sector”, he noted.
The comprehensive report released by LISGIS through its Director General will among other things inform strategic policies to address these challenges, boost productivity, and enhance food security across Liberia.
“These findings underscore the urgent need for modernization and mechanization in Liberia’s agricultural sector to enhance productivity and sustainability”, he said.
Moreover, he stated that the results of the census will serve as the foundation for targeted policy interventions aimed at improving food security, supporting smallholder farmers, and advancing agricultural development across Liberia.
The year 2024 he told the media has been marked by significant accomplishments, particularly in capacity building, agriculture statistics, inflation monitoring, and trade analysis.
” I am also honored to share the historic milestone of my election as Chairman of the Statistical Commission for Africa”, he further information the media.
According to the LISGIS boss, Capacity Building during the year 2024 was also a key Cornerstone of growth for the entity.
“LISGIS made substantial investments in building the technical capacity of its workforce to meet the growing demands for reliable statistics and geo-information”,he added.
He told the media that through capacity-building initiatives, 24 staff members were sponsored to pursue Master’s degree programs in critical fields such as Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Development Economics, Biostatistics, Data Science, and Epidemiology.
These programs, undertaken at prestigious institutions like the University of Malawi and the University of Rome Tor Vergata, ranged from 12 to 24 months, equipping our team with the skills necessary to address complex developmental challenges.
Moreover, he stated that as part of said endeavor, long-term academic programs, LISGIS facilitated short-term training initiatives for 30 staff members in areas like GIS, financial management, and communication.
These training programs he indicated were conducted regionally and internationally, with durations ranging from workshops lasting a few days to specialized courses spanning several months.
” This dual approach to capacity building underscores our commitment to immediate skill enhancement while preparing for sustained institutional growth and these efforts have already begun to yield results, enabling LISGIS to leverage modern methodologies and technologies in data collection, analysis, and dissemination” noted.
Ngafuan re-emphasized that by empowering his workforce, they are building a resilient institution capable of meeting the statistical needs of Liberia’s development agenda.
He pledged to rebrand LISGIS and to make it more visible to the media by engaging in several media related engagements aimed at informing the general public about their workings and activities for the betterment of the Country.
