The Ministry of Agriculture in Liberia is embroiled in a dispute over its budget line, amid reports of cattle deaths in Grand Kru County. The county has not had a working cattle herd in a generation, and the ministry's announcement of 200 Muturu cows being delivered was seen as a promise to revive the local ranch and support farmers. However, the ministry has disputed the budget figures, citing a discrepancy between its approved books and the national government's budget book.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture, its full FY2026 appropriation totals $10,495,326, with $3,477,083 in basic salaries, $1,812,159 in goods and services, and $5,150,500 in government-funded Public Sector Investment Program (PSIP) spending. The ministry received a supplemental appropriation of $358,078 from the $200 million ArcelorMittal signature bonus, which is far short of the $4.5 million recorded against its name in Annex 7 of the National Budget.
The $200,000 spent on the 200 Muturu cattle was drawn from the ministry's approved core PSIP budget, not the signature bonus. However, 24 of the 35 cows that set out for Grand Kru County died along the way, due to a long haul without enough food. The supplier has admitted fault and promised replacements at no cost to the government. The incident has raised concerns about the effectiveness of the ministry's livestock program.
The Ministry of Agriculture announced the arrival of the first 200 Muturu cattle on July 29, 2026, stating that the purchase was budgeted at $200,000, or $1,000 per cow. Agriculture Minister Dr. J. Alexander Nuetah said the cattle would be distributed to farmers in Grand Kru County, alongside a government-funded rehabilitation of the county ranch under the PSIP.
A Facebook post by Jallah TV defended the purchase, confirming that 12 cows went to the Central Agricultural Research Institute, and 35 were trucked toward Grand Kru, with some dying en route. The post framed the losses as routine, noting that the transporters had agreed to replace the dead animals.
The FY2026 National Budget lists $4.5 million in supplemental funding for the Ministry of Agriculture, including $3 million for "Support for Livestock and Poultry Value Chain Production". However, the ministry disputes this figure, saying it never received $3 million for this purpose. The discrepancy between the ministry's records and the national budget document has raised questions about the accuracy of the budget.
The dispute has implications for Liberia's agricultural sector, which is a significant part of the country's economy. The ministry has offered to share its FY2026 PSIP project document, procurement updates, and cash plans, which may help clarify the budget discrepancy. Two key questions remain: why the printed National Budget records $4.5 million in agriculture supplemental funding that the ministry says never existed, and what portion of the $1.95 million core PSIP livestock line has actually been disbursed as of September 2026.
Key points
- The Ministry of Agriculture disputes its budget line, citing a discrepancy between its approved books and the national government's budget book.
- 24 of the 35 Muturu cows that set out for Grand Kru County died along the way due to a long haul without enough food.
- The dispute has implications for Liberia's agricultural sector, which is a significant part of the country's economy.
