Tree Crops Extension Project

In Liberia, agriculture is the primary source of livelihood for more than 60 per cent of the population. Traditionally, tree crops including cocoa, rubber and timber have been one of the country’s largest sources of employment, as well as an integral part of its social fabric. However, during the country’s civil wars, the tree crop sector was devastated and many farmers displaced. Abandoned farms and plantations degenerated into forests, and necessary infrastructure for tree crop farming was damaged or destroyed. Market linkages vanished, while exports dropped to almost zero.

The Tree Crops Extension Project II (TCEP II) will try to reverse this situation by investing in the revitalization or replanting of abandoned plantations. This project, which will be implemented in Lofa County, will increase the quantity and quality of cocoa sold by smallholders and will improve post-harvest handling and quality. It is expected to reach about 10,000 smallholder cocoa producers. Crop diversity will also be promoted through intercropping, which can improve food and nutrition security, shade management and income generation. Moreover, specific measures will be put in place to include women and youth, and to promote their access to project benefits such as training and financial services.

The project will strengthen and climate-proof rural infrastructure through the rehabilitation and maintenance of roads and the construction of humidity-controlled warehouses to store cocoa beans during the wet season, when roads are not passable. It will also build the capacity of the cooperatives to deliver better services to their members.

The TCEP II will scale up the recently completed Smallholder Tree Crop Revitalization Support Project and complement the Tree Crops Extension Project I, both supported by IFAD. It will enhance the delivery of quality services to cocoa farmers and guarantee sustainability through improved extension services and greater access to inputs and markets.