Some 16 agricultural extension officers from five counties in Liberia benefited from capacity-building training in a two-day train-the-trainer workshop on improving rice-fish farming techniques.
The training was designed to educate extension officers on how to improve high-quality rice seed and food fish production in Liberia. Beneficiaries are from Bang, Gee River, Grand Gedd and Gbarpolu counties in Maryland.
It is conducted by World Fish at the Central Agricultural Research Institute (CARI) in Suakoko, Bong District, an international non-profit research and innovation organization dedicated to reducing hunger, malnutrition and poverty in Africa, Asia and the Pacific.
DeSIRA Integrated Rice Fish Farming System
African Rice Liberia and World Fish is currently working with the Ministry of Agriculture and the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Authority (NaFAA) to implement the EU-funded DeSIRA Integrated Rice Fish Farming System project. For more than 45 years, World Fish has been committed to sustainable aquaculture, and fisheries have improved the lives of millions of women, men and youth.
Fish and rice are a major part of the Liberian diet, and Liberia has everything it needs to produce enough rice and fish, but unfortunately, the country continues to import rice and fish on a large scale.
Liberia spends about $200 million a year on importing its staple food, while also spending about $40 million on fish. During the seminar, Dr. Inoussa Akintayo also believed that Liberia has great potential to produce more fish and rice, adding that the current fish and rice farming project aims to reduce Liberia’s import of rice and fish.
According to Akintayo, the EU’s integrated system of paddy-fish farming aims to correct this unfortunate situation in the country. He said the workshop was important to extension officials as it intended to drill on seed and feed, as well as use farm-produced feed as brood.
“The EU Integrated Paddy-Fish System will create another opportunity for many young people in Liberia, especially recent university graduates, who want to take advantage of such an opportunity. Most young people should now consider the EU’s Integrated Paddy-Fish System as their own opportunity,” Akintayo said.