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Claim: Deputy Minister Daniel Sando claims that “$13 million is allocated in the 2026 draft national budget for the Ministry of Agriculture.”
Verdict: False. The Ministry of Agriculture’s 2026 draft budget is projected to receive about $9 million.
Full Text
The Boakai-led government adopted its ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development (AAID) as the national development plan of Liberia.
The acronym ARREST represents the government’s six development drives. They include agribusiness, roads and infrastructure, rule of law and governance, education and human capital development, sanitation, and tourism.
During his appearance as a guest on a morning talk show, the Deputy Minister for Press and Public Affairs of the Ministry of Information was quizzed about the agriculture budget in the 2026 draft national budget.
Daniel Sando was asked why approximately $13 million was allocated to agriculture in the budget, given that it is a government priority.
In his response, Sando said that many people mistakenly identify the Ministry of Agriculture’s budget with the agricultural sector’s budget.
According to him, there are components of the agriculture sector in the country, and
“If $13 million was allocated to the Ministry of Agriculture in the draft budget, it does not suggest that it is the government’s only intervention.”
The deputy minister explains that the agriculture sector is larger than the Ministry of Agriculture, naming the Central Agricultural Research Institute (CARI) as one of its components. He added that it is being funded separately outside of the US$13 million.
Sando can be heard from 30:53 to 31:23 of the show.
To ensure truth in the information ecosystem, DUBAWA checked the deputy minister’s claim.
Verification
DUBAWA checked the official website of the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning (MFDP) to review the 2026 draft national budget of the Ministry of Agriculture.
In it, the ministry is projected to receive $9,545,326 of the total $13,663,843 allocated to the agriculture sector.
This is seen on page 501 of the draft budget.
The sector summary gives the total allocations for each section in the draft budget. This is on page i.
Conclusion
Deputy Minister Daniel Sando’s claim that $13 million is allocated in the 2026 draft national budget for the Ministry of Agriculture is false.
