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Liberia’s Agricultural Revolution: Budget Boost or Rhetoric Recycled?

  • Writer: Michael T
    Michael T
  • Jun 10
  • 3 min read
President Boakia at his Farm in Gbarma, Gbarpolu County
President Boakia at his Farm in Gbarma, Gbarpolu County

Liberia’s President Joseph Boakai has staked his legacy on transforming the nation’s ailing agricultural sector. With the 2025 national budget boasting a threefold increase in agricultural funding—from $4.4 million to $15.2 million—the administration is touting this as a turning point for food security and rural prosperity. But does the math, and Boakai’s own track record, support the claim that Liberia is on the cusp of an agricultural revolution? Or is this yet another cycle of grand promises in a sector long mired in underperformance?


The headline figures are undeniably eye-catching. The agriculture sector’s allocation in the 2025 budget is the highest in years, reflecting a stated commitment to “building a stronger, more sustainable economy” and addressing core needs like food security and rural livelihoods[1][7][8]. Yet, even with this increase, agriculture receives less than 2% of Liberia’s $851.8 million national budget—far below the 10% target set by the African Union’s Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP), a benchmark consistently met by Africa’s agricultural success stories like Rwanda and Ethiopia[1][7].


The gap is not merely academic. Liberia remains heavily reliant on rain-fed, smallholder farming, with only 2.3% of crops benefiting from irrigation[3]. The country’s food import bill is staggering—rice alone accounts for 41% of total imports, exposing Liberia to global price shocks and draining precious foreign reserves[3]. While the new budget will improve salaries and support for agricultural workers, it falls short of the sustained, large-scale investment needed to overhaul infrastructure, introduce modern technology, and build climate resilience.


President Boakai’s agricultural credentials leave us with more questions than answers. As a former agriculture minister and head of the Liberia Produce Marketing Corporation in the 1980s, he oversaw decentralization efforts and the creation of regional agricultural hubs[5]. His campaign rhetoric has consistently promised to “fight corruption, boost agricultural production, and bring down the cost of food”[5][6]. Yet, after a decade as vice president and nearly two years in the presidency, the evidence of transformative impact is thin.


Despite repeated pledges to reduce food imports and empower local farmers, Liberia’s agricultural productivity remains stagnant. The sector is still dominated by subsistence farming, with little progress in mechanization, crop diversification, or export development[3][6]. While Boakai has articulated a vision for climate-smart, technology-driven agriculture—most recently at the World Food Forum in Rome—implementation on the ground has lagged, hampered by weak inter-ministerial coordination, poor infrastructure, and limited access to finance[2][4][6].


If Liberia seeks a blueprint for agricultural transformation, it need look no further than Rwanda. There, consistent government investment—meeting and often exceeding the 10% CAADP target—has been matched by a relentless focus on extension services, rural infrastructure, and private sector engagement. The result: dramatic increases in food production, reduced import dependency, and rising rural incomes.


Rwanda’s success is rooted in:


-Sustained Budget Commitment: Multi-year, ring-fenced funding for agriculture.

- Technology and Data: Widespread adoption of digital tools, precision agriculture, and data-driven decision-making.

- Market Access: Investment in rural roads and storage, connecting farmers to markets.

- Policy Consistency: Clear, long-term strategies insulated from political cycles.


Liberia’s current approach—modest budget increases and ambitious rhetoric—falls short of this model. The absence of robust monitoring, weak stakeholder coordination, and a lack of rural infrastructure investment continue to undermine progress[2][3].


President Boakai’s vision for a self-sufficient, export-oriented agriculture sector is compelling on paper, and the 2025 budget marks a step in the right direction[4]. But without a dramatic scaling-up of investment, genuine policy reform, and a laser focus on implementation, Liberia risks repeating the cycle of unfulfilled promises. The country’s agricultural renaissance will require more than budgetary tweaks and presidential speeches—it demands the political will to match words with action, and the humility to learn from Africa’s best.


As Liberia takes snail-pace steps, the question remains: Will Boakai’s administration finally deliver the agricultural revolution it has so often promised, or will history judge this latest budget as just another missed opportunity in a sector that cannot afford further delay?



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Additional Sources


[5] Joseph Boakai: Who is Liberia's next president, set to replace ... - BBC https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-41837299

[6] How President Joseph Boakai hopes to rid Liberia of its problems https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-68682538

[8] The government of Liberia boosts funding for agriculture, security ... https://www.tridge.com/news/liberia-government-of-liberia-boosts-funding-ouwrma

[9] Boakai Announces Over 200% Increase in Agricultural Budget https://verityonlinenews.com/boakai-announces-over-200-increase-in-agricultural-budget-2/

[11] Boakai Signs 2025 National Budget - The Inquirer Newspaper https://inquirernewspaper.com/boakai-signs-2025-national-budget/

[12] Liberia country profile - BBC News https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-13729504


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