Monrovia, Liberia - March 5, 2021 – The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations hosted His Excellency Tsutomu Himeno, Japanese Ambassador to the Republic of Liberia. The event held at the Ministry of Agriculture brought together FAO staff led by Madam Mariatou Njie, FAO Liberia Country Representative and senior government officials from the Government of Liberia. Those included Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Mr. Robert Fagans, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for International Cooperation and Economic Integration, Sherdrick Jackson, and the Director General of the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Authority Madam Emma Metieh-Glassco, amongst others. The event marked the official closing of Japanese funded projects implemented by FAO;

1.           Integrated Sustainable Rice System Development

2.           Support to implementation of the 2009 FAO Agreement on Port State Measures and the Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries for sustainable fisheries and maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea.

Also launched was the new Japanese-funded intervention in the fisheries sub-sector:

3.           Livelihood Empowerment of Women in Small-Scale Fisheries (SSF) during and after COVID-19

As part of the opening remarks, Madam Njie stated that “Farmers appreciated the timely agricultural advisory services in addition to improved agro-inputs, and good water management to increase their productivity”. She noted that these technical assistance enabled farmers to cultivate twice a year on average and increase their yield.

At the end of the ceremony, Ambassador Himeno also signed a grant agreement with The Catholic Agency for Overseas Development (CAFOD) Country Representative Mr. Kayode Akintola, under Grant Assistance for Grass-roots Human Security Projects (GGHSP) to help communities equip solar powered fridges, solar heat exchange fish coolers, amongst others. Speaking at the closing of the ceremony, Ambassador Himeno thanked the government ministries and agencies for their continued partnership with the government of Japan, and also commended FAO for their successful implementation and continued partnership with the People of Japan towards sustainable development in agriculture and fisheries for Liberia.