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By: Nukanah Kollie / IFAJ-Alltech Young Leader & Fellow / [email protected]
JORQUELLEH, BONG COUNTY—Liberian farmer and agricultural investor Jeff Juahkollie is calling for stronger agricultural systems, policy reforms and market structures to improve support for farmers across Liberia, particularly in the cocoa and oil palm sectors, which he describes as some of the country’s most economically valuable crops.
During an interview in Bong County, Juahkollie shared findings from his personal research into Liberia’s agricultural value chains and explained why he ultimately chose to invest in oil palm production despite recognizing cocoa as Liberia’s most productive agricultural commodity.
According to him, cocoa remains Liberia’s highest-performing crop in terms of productivity, followed closely by oil palm.
“I did research about crops in Liberia,” he explained. “The most productive crop is cocoa. Second to cocoa is oil palm. Then it goes down the list to coffee, rubber and other crops.”
Liberia’s agricultural sector remains central to the national economy. According to the U.S. International Trade Administration’s Liberia Agricultural Sector Report, agriculture accounted for approximately 29.7 percent of Liberia’s GDP in 2022, with cocoa, rubber, oil palm and timber serving as major foreign exchange earners. The report also noted that the sector continues to face low productivity, poor infrastructure and limited processing capacity.
Data from the Liberia Special Economic Zones Authority (LSEZA) shows that more than 40,000 households are engaged in cocoa production across Liberia, with official exports estimated at about 25,000 metric tons from approximately 50,000 hectares of farmland. Cocoa remains Liberia’s second most important export commodity and is primarily produced in Bong, Nimba and Lofa Counties.
Meanwhile, recent figures from FAOSTAT data published by Helgi Library estimate Liberia’s cocoa bean production at approximately 30,000 tonnes in 2024, while palm oil production reached about 45,000 tonnes in 2023.
Despite cocoa’s profitability potential, Juahkollie said Liberia still lacks the institutional structures necessary to protect farmers and maximize the crop’s economic value.
Concerns Over Liberia’s Cocoa Market System
Juahkollie identified the absence of a national cocoa grading and pricing framework as one of the major challenges affecting Liberian cocoa farmers.
Drawing comparisons with neighboring Ghana, Ivory Coast and Guinea, he noted that those countries have established organized systems that regulate cocoa quality and pricing.
“You look at Ghana, they have the Ghana Cocoa Board. They determine the Ghana premium cocoa,” he said. “Every farmer that dries their cocoa to that premium standard gets paid based on that quality.”
The Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) serves as the country’s primary cocoa regulatory institution and oversees quality control, pricing systems, research and cocoa marketing.
He questioned why Liberia has not yet established its own premium cocoa standard capable of improving quality control and protecting farmers’ earnings.
“What is Liberian premium cocoa?” he asked. “We don’t even have it.”
According to him, the absence of a structured national system has created room for informal cross-border trade, where many farmers sell cocoa to foreign buyers at lower prices.
“Most cocoa leaks to the black market,” Juahkollie stated. “Farmers sell to vendors from Ivory Coast or Guinea, and it is not bought at a good price, so the farmer is still losing.”
His concerns are supported by findings from the International Trade Centre (ITC) cocoa report on Liberia, which stated that Liberian cocoa is often heavily discounted on the international market due to quality concerns, weak market access and limited value addition. The report noted that although up to 40,000 smallholder farmers depend on cocoa for income and food security, the sector still struggles with inadequate incentives and poor post-harvest processing systems.
Additional findings from a Cocoa Value Chain Analysis in Liberia revealed that Liberia’s cocoa sector continues to suffer from fragmented supply chains, weak regulation, poor post-harvest handling and the absence of strong enforcement mechanisms. The study further stated that Liberian cocoa is discounted on the world market by as much as US$300 per ton due to quality concerns.
Juahkollie argued that neighboring countries are benefiting from organized agricultural systems while Liberian farmers continue to struggle with weak market coordination and the absence of standardized pricing structures.
He further emphasized that establishing a structured grading system including classifications such as Class A, Class B and Class C cocoa would encourage farmers to improve product quality while ensuring transparency in pricing.
“If there is a Liberian premium cocoa system, every farmer will want to produce quality cocoa because they know what they will earn,” he added.
He argued that stronger pricing systems and better market coordination could encourage more investment while making cocoa farming more profitable and sustainable for Liberian farmers.
Why Oil Palm Became His Preferred Investment
Although he considers cocoa Liberia’s most productive crop, Juahkollie said he chose to invest in oil palm because of its practicality and sustainability within Liberia’s current agricultural environment.
“One of the reasons why I invested in palm is because I’m able to maintain it,” he explained. “I’m able to find labor to work on the farm. You don’t need that much skilled labor for palm because you can train somebody how to harvest palm and that’s it.”
He explained that cocoa farming often requires more technical expertise, especially during harvesting, fermentation and drying processes where quality directly affects market prices.
According to him, oil palm farming offers a more manageable production model because labor training is simpler and local processing opportunities already exist in many communities.
The plantation, established between 2018 and 2019, is now entering a productive harvesting stage.
“We have a lot of palm on the farm now,” Juahkollie said. “The palm has not reached its most productive year yet because the ninth year is usually the highest production stage.”
He also highlighted the broader economic opportunities available within the oil palm value chain, including palm oil and palm kernel processing.
“We already have our palm kernel crusher here,” he revealed. “We haven’t started producing palm kernel oil yet, but we are drying the kernels now and in the next two or three months we should begin.”
According to him, oil palm production creates multiple income streams beyond raw harvests, making it a strategic long-term investment for farmers and agribusiness entrepreneurs.
The Liberia Market Brief on Agricultural Crops noted that oil palm remains one of Liberia’s major commercial tree crops and continues to provide opportunities for investment and value addition despite broader challenges facing the agriculture sector.
Call for Stronger Agricultural Systems
Juahkollie believes Liberia possesses enormous agricultural potential but stressed that stronger institutional support systems are urgently needed to help farmers succeed.
He called for improved agricultural policies, stronger pricing mechanisms, better processing infrastructure and increased investment across the sector.
“We need systems that support farmers,” he emphasized. “If the structures are there, people will invest more confidently.”
He also encouraged young Liberians to view agriculture as a serious business opportunity capable of generating employment, strengthening food systems and transforming rural communities.
According to him, Liberia’s agricultural future will depend heavily on how effectively the country develops sustainable and organized systems around major commodities such as cocoa and oil palm.
