IPNEWS: The lives of many local farmers, especially women are taking new dimensions with support from projects funded and managed by UNDP and its partners through the government of Liberia. The Nimba Women Agriculture Cooperative in Nimba County is making steady progress in the agriculture sector with interventions from UNDP.
“We started this initiative with four women, later grew to fifty, and now we have over 200 members,” says Plensey McCoy the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Cooperative.
With excitement, McCoy explained that they received a grant of US$40k as one of the winners of the Growth Accelerated Program through the UNDP’s Livelihood and Employment Creation project after a rigorous selection process that lasted six months.
Initially, they processed and produced in a backyard kitchen space but with support from the project and other donors, they now have a dedicated processing site.
“We used the money to acquire land, build a site where we now operate, construct a storage facility, and purchase essential equipment and logistics, including a pickup, and a motorcycle for transportation purposes. Today, as you can see, we are booming, adding value to cassava. We produce and sell locally produced cassava products like fufu, gari, deepah etc, on a large scale at a 50% increase, supplying many customers including supermarkets. This grant has allowed us to establish a strong foundation, but we are not stopping here—we aim to grow even further,” she narrated.
She says the cooperative plans to venture into cassava flour production in a few years. “The group wants to expand further, by diversifying its agricultural products, including growing cassava on a larger scale. According to our survey, many people purchase cassava flour produced abroad so producing it locally for export will strengthen women’s economic empowerment and ability to participate in markets, control productive resources, and access decent work. We also aim to contribute to the school feeding program of the Ministry of Education by supplying locally grown and processed food products,” Plensey explained.
Despite the gains made, the cooperative still faces some challenges. McCoy stated “We face challenges, particularly in securing raw materials and dealing with unreliable electricity. Our processing facility requires a consistent power supply, but frequent outages hinder our operations, affecting our ability to meet customer demands”.
Even with these challenges, McCoy is not holding back, she is encouraging other women and aspiring entrepreneurs to keep pushing forward. “Women who want to venture into agriculture or any business, do not be discouraged. Seek opportunities, stay committed, and look for support where necessary,” she urged.
McCoy also expressed gratitude to donors and encouraged them to continue their support for women and youth. She believes investing in dedicated individuals and organizations like theirs will further ensure long-term growth and development.
The Nimba Women Agriculture Cooperative also grow vegetables and assists other farmers in poultry farming. It is a group of smallholder farmers including women and People with Disabilities in the agricultural sector farming vegetables, cassava, rice, livestock, etc.
McCoy comes from a background where both parents were farmers. “I always saw myself working alongside them to get food to eat. Given this background, I decided to follow my family’s path, not to sit idly, but to empower women and People with Disabilities,” Plensey concluded.
The UNDP-funded Livelihood & Employment Creation Project in partnership with the Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MOCI) aims to enhance economic opportunities and improve the livelihoods of vulnerable populations, particularly women and youth. It seeks to foster inclusive economic growth, empowering marginalized groups in Liberia, and contributing to long-term stability and development.
