Project Title

Smallholder Agriculture Transformation and Agribusiness Revitalization Project (STAR-P)

Project Location

The geographic area will indicatively consist of the following counties: Bomi, Grand Cape Mount, Lofa, Margibi, Nimba (World Bank Funding) Maryland, Gbarpolu, Grand Gedeh and Sinoe (Additional Financing from IFAD).

Project Value Chain per county

Bomi                             Horticulture

Grand Cape Mount      Oil Palm

Lofa                                Rice

Nimba                        Rice & Horticulture

Margibi                       Horticulture

Gbarpolu                     Oil Palm

Maryland                     Oil Palm

Sinoe                               Rice

Grand Gedeh                   Rice

Duration

July 1, 2019 to November 30, 2024.

Project Cost

US$48M

Funding Sources

• US$25Mloan provided by the World Bank with additional financing of US$23M from IFAD.
• IFAD financing terms.The USD 23 million provided by IFAD is provided as 27% grant (USD 6,210,000) and 73% highly concessional loan (USD 16,790,000).

Project Development Objective

The project development objective (PDO) of STAR-P is to increase agricultural productivity and commercialization of smallholder farmers for selected value chains in selected counties of Liberia.

STAR-P focuses on addressing critical market failures limiting the development of rice, oil palm, and horticulture value chains. The /project would reach its objectives of increasing agricultural productivity and promoting smallholder commercialization by facilitating private sector investment in selected value-chains and by fostering productive linkages between smallholder farmers and selected agribusiness firms through a climate business lens. Adaptation approaches and mitigation measures will be applied to enhance climate change resiliency and minimize climate-related risks in the production of rice and oil palm.

Beneficiaries

The direct beneficiaries of the project are approximately 38,000 smallholder farmers, of whom at least 30 per cent will be women and young farmers. Intermediate beneficiaries will include agribusinesses and business development service enterprises that have business links to smallholder farmers in the targeted value chains.

Project Components

1. Institutional Capacity Building and Strengthening the Enabling Environment for Farmers, State and Non-State Actors
2. Enhancing Productivity and Competitiveness
3. Project Management, M&E, Citizen Engagement and Contingency Emergency

Executing Entity

Ministry of Agriculture, Republic of Liberia

Supervising Entity

World Bank

Project approval date

February 2019

Project effectiveness date

June 28, 2019

Expected closing date

November 30, 2024