By Raine Golegio
An American based humanitarian organization, Friends of Liberia Food and Water incorporated has established a state of the art Modern Rice processing factory in Gbatala, Bong County.
Constructed at a cost of US$ 75,000, the Rice factory has the capacity to clean, process and bagg over one metric ton of rice hourly.
According to the technical supervisor Dr. Koikoi Sumo-Mulbah, Friends of Liberia Food and Water’s initiative, is supporting local farmers to produce more of the country’s stable food rice on the market.
He disclosed that the buying price of the paddy or ruff rice is too high, but farmers would be able to reduce the price from Ten USD to a reasonable amount if Government provides more support to Farmers.
Dr. Sumo-Mulbah said, the Rice processing factory is supremely located and will cater to hundreds of farmers from Lofa, Nimba and Bong Counties including other areas.
Liberia consumes a little over five hundred and seventy thousand metric tons of rice every year and of that number, seventy percent is imported.
The organization is also providing safe drinking water for people in hard to reach places across Liberia.
Friends of Liberia Food and Water incorporated is in River Cess and other Counties carrying on the installation of hand pumps and providing safe drinking water to community dwellers and villages.
Meanwhile, Friends of Liberia Food and Water incorporated has turned over a brand new Kia Moto truck to the organization rice production factory in Gbatala, Bong County.
Presenting the Truck on behalf of the international Board, Lee Mason said, the Truck will be used to enhance the operations of the organization’s rice project in Liberia.
The Jac Kia Moto truck is Valued over twenty two thousand United States dollars and carry’s over three tons.
Receiving the Kia Moto truck, the technical supervisor to the Friends of Liberia Food and Water project Dr. Koikoi Sumo-Mulbah thanked the international board for making Truck available.
He praised Rev Oliver Adams for
connecting farmers and other communities in need to the Friends of Liberia Food and Water incorporated.
Dr. Koiko indicated that the issue of transportation will no longer hinder farmers getting their rice to the factory for processing.
Friends of Liberia Food and Water is helping to advance the lives of thousands of people in Liberia through digging of water wells
AFRICA PRIME NEWS reports that since the civil conflict in Liberia, farmers have not been able to make larger farms due to numerous challenges.