The FendellCampus of the University of Liberia was Friday, 7 December 2018, a scene of greatjoy for families, friends and well-wishers as 458 students walked out of thewalls of the College Agriculture and Forestry.
The University of Liberia has been churning out graduates for 2018 from its various academic programs since late November. The number of graduates from the College of Agriculture caught the attention of Eagle Eye because of the challenging food security problem facing the nation. Liberia is dependent on food aid to feed and other assistances to address hunger facing the population.
Sadly, the country’s food security situation is one of contradiction and trepidation. Contradictions because despite the vast arable land and good weather conditions such that anything grows, even in the backyards of people, the country depends on importation of basic commodities, including pepper. As a matter of fact, the Government of Liberia spends a whooping US$200million annually to import rice, its staple food. On the other hand, trepidation, because despite the recognition of the abundance of resources to produce its own food, the national leadership since 1847 to present, has consistently failed to muster the courage and political will to address this perennial problem that has become a scar on the conscience of the nation. It has become a shame that a nation with good soil and weather will have to be accepting handouts from other nations.
It is againstthis background that the Eagle Eye, while admiring the joys and smiles on thefaces of families and friends, and delighted in the number of graduates in agriculture,including females, can only wonder if Liberia food security needs would be securedin the not too distant future?
It is the hope of the Eagle Eye that the Government of Liberia would come up with programs, including community farming where these graduates would be deployed to enhance the self-reliance program of the country’s food security needs. Also, the graduates need not wait on the Government, and sit in the city’s waiting for office jobs, but coming up with innovative means, including forming groups and cooperatives to farm in pepper, vegetables, etc. Only through such enterprising approach will our food security needs be secured.