Star and Shield Clothing Cotton villages

Star and Shield Clothing Cotton villages are farm cooperatives in Liberia, specifically in Duázon Margibi, Kakata, and Bong County, where smallholder farms engage collectively in planting, weeding, harvesting, and spinning cotton. Farms in these areas tend to be sparse rather than dense plantations, reflecting the small-scale farming nature prevalent in the region.

Cotton seeds for planting are imported into Liberia primarily from countries like France and the UK, with imports valued at around $30,790 for 861 kg in 2021. The importation of quality cotton seeds is crucial to maintaining productive yields, as local development of cotton seed varieties remains limited.

Investment capital needed to farm cotton per acre involves costs ranging from land preparation, seed purchase, irrigation, labor for weeding and harvesting, to processing. Detailed studies from similar African and global contexts indicate a requirement of roughly $500 to $700 or more per acre for high-quality seed, labor inputs, and farming supplies. Effective cotton farming demands well-drained soil, proper irrigation, pest management, and spinning capabilities to add value locally before selling.

Considering the cooperative model, collective investment also finances shared tools and machinery for land preparation and post-harvest processing like spinning, enhancing productivity despite the sparsity of farms.

In summary, cotton villages in Liberia’s Margibi, Kakata, and Bong counties function as cooperatives pooling labor and capital to sustain cotton cultivation and production. They depend on the importation of quality cotton seeds and require investment capital per acre in the several hundred dollar range to ensure successful planting, maintenance, and processing of cotton fiber, enabling economic benefits for smallholder farmers in these regions.

Citations:
[1] Margibi – Liberia is operating at two fronts. Cooper Farm in … https://www.facebook.com/100064102780843/posts/margibi-liberia-is-operating-at-two-fronts-cooper-farm-in-montserrado-and-cotton/1064326385714111/
[2] Cotton Tree: Hon. Ivar K. Jones begins distribution of … https://www.facebook.com/joshua.b.freeman.2025/videos/cotton-tree-hon-ivar-k-jones-begins-distribution-of-agricultural-materials-in-di/659923707100080/
[3] LIBERIA AGRICULTURE FAIR KAKATA MARGIBI … https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e6sYvvxu6So
[4] Cotton is an important agricultural product in Liberia, and … https://www.facebook.com/100087891440237/posts/cotton-is-an-important-agricultural-product-in-liberia-and-is-primarily-produced/560162713590105/
[5] China Mainland Group $100M Liberia Agriculture Investment https://liberianinvestigator.com/business-news/china-mainland-group-100m-liberia-agriculture-investment/
[6] In Cotton Tree Community, Bong County, the IECD’s … https://www.facebook.com/IECDLiberia/posts/in-cotton-tree-community-bong-county-the-iecds-commitment-to-agroecology-continu/1125989296235722/
[7] Liberia Cotton seeds imports by country | 2021 | Data https://wits.worldbank.org/trade/comtrade/en/country/LBR/year/2021/tradeflow/Imports/partner/ALL/product/120720
[8] National Agriculture Development Plan(NADP) 2024 – 2030 https://www.moa.gov.lr/sites/default/files/documents/NADP_2024_2030_Full%20Final_July_10.pdf
[9] Agriculture in Liberia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agriculture_in_Liberia
[10] Cooper Farm, Cotton Tree, Zone 2, Jorquelleh, Bong … https://www.google.com/maps/search/Cooper%20Farm,%20Cotton%20Tree,%20Zone%202,%20Jorquelleh,%20Bong%20County,%20Liberia
[11] Cotton seeds in Liberia Trade https://oec.world/en/profile/bilateral-product/cotton-seeds/reporter/lbr
[12] Cotton Farming Profit Per Acre – https://croplibrary.com/cotton-farming-profit-per-acre/
[13] African Cotton https://cottonmadeinafrica.org/en/african-cotton/
[14] A Farmer’s Life in Liberia’s Bong County: Palm Production and … https://www.instagram.com/reel/DN51HsOkzHN/
[15] Import Quality Seeds for Farming in Liberia https://www.desikheti.com/pages/import-seeds-to-liberia
[16] Cotton Production Costs and Returns: Eastern Uplands https://www.cotton.org/econ/cropinfo/costsreturns/eastern-uplands.cfm
[17] Transforming Liberia Agriculture: Irrigation & Precision … https://farmonaut.com/africa/transforming-liberias-agriculture-key-insights-on-modernization-food-security-and-economic-growth
[18] Get your affordable made in Liberia. HERITAGE COTTON … https://www.facebook.com/checkliberia/videos/get-your-affordable-made-in-liberia-heritage-cotton-the-home-of-quality-100-cott/790081833352466/
[19] Liberia Cotton seeds exports by country | 2023 | Data https://wits.worldbank.org/trade/comtrade/en/country/LBR/year/2023/tradeflow/Exports/partner/ALL/product/120720
[20] What are Startup Costs for Cotton Growing? https://startupfinancialprojection.com/blogs/capex/cotton-growing