A New Approach to Agricultural Development Under the CDC Government

Jan 5, 2018 | Gabriel W. Coleman
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Introduction I learned in secondary school many years ago, that agriculture is the mainstay of West African economies as well as other African countries that are not part of the sub-region. The reason is that then and now, agriculture has been and continues to contribute the largest percentage to the GDPs of most African countries. Unlike the mineral sector, agricultural production is perpetual if climate does not fail us. But what is agriculture? Agriculture is the cultivation of crops which leads to production of agricultural products. Agricultural products fall into one of four groups: foods, fuels, fibers, and raw materials. Foods are grains and cereal crops, vegetables, fruits, meats, and dairy products like milk, honey, and farmed fish. Fibers, fuel, and raw materials are in the non-food category. Fuels are ethanol produced from corn, sugarcane, or sorghum, charcoal from wood and agricultural by-products like sugarcane straw and wood shavings that are burned to produce power. Fibers come from cotton, wool, silk, hemp which is used to make rope and flax for linen, as well as bamboo to make cloth. Raw materials are agricultural materials used to make other agricultural products. For example, livestock feed (an agricultural product) is used to feed the animals who produce dairy products. Other non-food products are flowers, textiles, seeds, plants, body care products with agricultural ingredients. This definition is sufficient reason why agriculture should be considered the most important sector of any economy, particularly where the climate which is the most critical factor in farming is ideal, as in the case of Liberia.