By P. Uriah Suah
SANNIQUELLIE, Nimba County — Nimba County is cultivating 1.14 hectares of tomatoes in Sanniquellie City as part of an ambitious US$400,000 agricultural production plan aimed at strengthening food productivity, reducing imports, and creating additional revenue opportunities for the county. The tomato farm is being implemented under the Nimba County Agriculture Project and funded through the Nimba County Social Development Fund.
Speaking to journalists Tuesday, September 15, 2026, Nimba County Agriculture Coordinator Jefferson G. Degon said the county initially committed US$400,000 to establish and support the broader agricultural initiative, which includes vegetable production, animal husbandry, rice cultivation, and tree crops. Degon asserted that the tomato farm has already produced approximately 9.7 tons of tomatoes for the public, with additional produce recently harvested.
He explained that the project is intended to move agriculture beyond subsistence farming and make it a stronger contributor to Nimba’s economic development by linking farmers with service providers, marketers, and consumers.
According to Degon, increasing local tomato production could help reduce Liberia’s reliance on imported tomatoes, particularly those sourced from neighboring Guinea, while creating employment and business opportunities along the agricultural value chain.
Beyond vegetables, he said Nimba plans to expand rice cultivation to hundreds of hectares, with multiple harvests expected to increase food availability and create additional opportunities for agricultural income. The Nimba County Agriculture Coordinator also noted that the county is working with the central government to develop additional farmland pointing out that the high cost of land development remains a major challenge.
He appreciated Superintendent Kou Meapeh Gono for supporting the initiative and the Agriculture Minister J. Alexander Nuetah, for providing technical support, while reaffirming the county’s dedication to a long-term goal of strengthening Liberia’s food productivity and agriculture industrialization.
