Liberia has identified Cocoa as a national priority for export diversification as highlighted in the Liberia National Export Strategy (2014-2018).
- The Liberian economy that has been dominated by rubber plantations and large farms, plans to develop a sustainable cocoa sector like Ghana and Ivory Coast.
Liberia has identified Cocoa as a national priority for export diversification as highlighted in the Liberia National Export Strategy (2014-2018).The Liberian economy that has been dominated by rubber plantations and large farms, plans to develop a sustainable cocoa sector like Ghana and Ivory Coast. However, the country’s cocoa sector, faces several challenges like underdeveloped value-chain, old and diseased trees, lack of inputs, poor fermentation techniques, limited financing, high labour cost, lack of drying, packaging and drying techniques.
Recently, the African Center for Economic Transformation (ACET) and USAID organised a dialogue on “Regional Collaboration on Overcoming Binding Constraints on the Growth of Liberia’s Cocoa Value Chain”.it was observed that there was a critical need to study the regional value chain and how they interface between the various countries policies and regulations. Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire account for almost two-third of world cocoa; Liberia joining the league of cocoa producing countries would further augment that share of Africa. Liberia could draw some lessons on cocoa production from Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire.
The Government of Liberia and IFAD have a $23million financing to boost cocoa production which is expected to help increase annual cocoa production to over 10,000metric tons. To develop a Sustainable cocoa sector, Liberia proposes to focus on three areas: Investments and cocoa marketing; Sustainable production and quality control; and Environment and climate change. The Liberia Economic Policy Dialogue Activity (LEPDA) project a USAID-funded project convened a meeting of key players in Liberia’s cocoa sector to help in shaping and executing the research project towards enhancing the cocoa industry in Liberia
