MONROVIA, LIBERIA-The Agriculture Ministry has started distributing the second batch of 200-thousand pepper seeds to farmers as part of efforts to increase commercial agricultural production.

Addressing the Information Ministry’s press briefing Tuesday, Information Minister Jerolinmek Piah said each participating farmer is receiving 5-thousand seeds through the Smallholder Agriculture Transformation and Agribusiness Revitalization Project.

He noted that the latest distribution follows an earlier allocation of 400-thousand seeds, bringing the total number distributed this year to 600-thousand.

According to him, some farmers who received the first batch have already begun harvesting their pepper, showing encouraging results from the initiative.

Minister Piah said the government intends to develop pepper as a major cash crop, adding that buyers in Turkey and China have already expressed interest in purchasing Liberian-grown pepper for the international market.