tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1855614361121267718.post5458546065065673565..comments2023-10-29T08:46:42.524+00:00Comments on Questions in Development: Why are Liberian farmers so poor?Rupert Simonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14258866957214285023noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1855614361121267718.post-78502718663048137242011-01-29T10:00:20.701+00:002011-01-29T10:00:20.701+00:00The solution is as always has the migration of ski...The solution is as always has the migration of skilled African American commercial farmers to the region.Also the skills transfer between brothers is essential.Kala Nationhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08327750209163822843noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1855614361121267718.post-54139536840735535142009-12-14T00:10:59.981+00:002009-12-14T00:10:59.981+00:00Thanks for the great work. Ideas are all around aw...Thanks for the great work. Ideas are all around awaiting great men that recognizes the important or the language to bless the hearts of humanities.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02067150097633687504noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1855614361121267718.post-3466879871475990342007-08-22T03:36:00.000+01:002007-08-22T03:36:00.000+01:00Rupert,Thanks for the great job you're doing in Li...Rupert,<BR/>Thanks for the great job you're doing in Liberia. I was born in Liberia and my parents were farmers (mostly rubber plantations) but they also grew other cash crops like sugarcane, cocoa, etc. albeit on a smaller scale. And I think by all measure my parents were middle class, earning over 50k per year in income. On your question "why are Liberian farmers so poor?" Well, before the war there were some very wealthy farmers in Liberia, but these were mostly rubber plantation owners. Except for a handful of mechanized vegetable farms, cash crops were mostly grown by peasants or subsistence farmers, so what you see today is not some new phenomenon. Rubber farming has always been attractive to the affluent class because it doesn't require the level of high maintenance that vegetable farming requires compared to rubber. In fact you don't need tractors, various farming implements, pesticides and fertilizers to maintain a rubber plantation. <BR/><BR/>Well, I hope more Liberians will invest in agriculture because as you know Liberia has perfect weather for farming and I think it's profitable. I plan to do some farming when I return, but I'll be bringing a John Deere tractor with me to Liberia. Rupert, if you're still in Monrovia when I get there, I'll come find you.Philhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05942115505914384244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1855614361121267718.post-72559711513849797322007-08-22T03:35:00.000+01:002007-08-22T03:35:00.000+01:00This comment has been removed by the author.Philhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05942115505914384244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1855614361121267718.post-17419388767372973702007-07-08T22:47:00.000+01:002007-07-08T22:47:00.000+01:00Good work Rupert. The idea of starvation in a fer...Good work Rupert. The idea of starvation in a fertile land really hurts. I'll look forward to more insights. If my 30 year experience with US farmers is any guide, Liberian farmers will find a way to plant their fields and harvest a crop is given half a chance to succeed. The biggest obstacles in agriculture, lack of water and arable land, don't seem to apply there.Drew Kinderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17372288828128483028noreply@blogger.com