The Country Representative of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations has underscored that the agriculture sector is still at small-scale, subsistence-oriented and crucially dependent on rainfall. Mariatou Njie stated that the food system is generated by subsistence farmers who use traditional tools and farming practices, and low productivity characterizes the subsistence farming system.
Njie made the statement Wednesday at a one-day forum, “Linking Extension and Research Project”, held at a hotel in Monrovia
According to her, rice, which is Liberia’s staple, has an average yield of about one metric ton per hectare, far below the average for sub-Saharan Africa.
She indicated that this persists despite the fact that researchers have rice varieties with high potential yield of more than 4 metric tons per hectare, a clear indication of the gap that exists between researchers and farmers.
Njie emphasized that the absence of effective linkage between agricultural research and extension system has repeatedly been reported as one of the major reasons for the low productivity.
“There has been no forum where this linkage problem has not been raised, as a result it has become a concern among policy makers, researchers, development workers and funding organizations,” she added.
She pinpointed that it is therefore necessary to understand the nature of linkages and communication pattern between and within the three systems, and their roles in the speedy transfer of technology.
Njie maintained that linkage encompasses a broad range of collaboration and exchange of useful information among all actors of the technology generation, dissemination and utilization system.