The Government of Liberia has entered into a 20-year partnership agreement with agricultural investment firm JR Farms Group to revitalize the nation's coffee sector. The deal, signed in early June in Monrovia, aims to overhaul coffee production, processing, and value-chain infrastructure as part of a national strategy to boost the agricultural economy.
The partnership is projected to facilitate more than US$60 million in investment for Liberia's agricultural sector. According to a statement from the country's Ministry of Agriculture, the long-term plan targets the development of over 250,000 hectares of coffee plantations and is expected to impact more than 200,000 farmers. This initiative aligns with Liberia's National Agriculture Development Plan, which includes a goal to establish 15,000 hectares of new coffee farms by 2030.
A key focus of the project will be the country's native Liberica coffee variety, which has been designated as a priority product by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). The partnership will support the establishment of nurseries, distribution of improved seedlings, farmer training programs, and the construction of coffee washing stations. The framework also includes plans for quality assurance systems, digital farmer registration, and guaranteed offtake arrangements, with the eventual goal of creating a Liberia Coffee Exchange. Initial implementation will concentrate on the major coffee-producing regions of Nimba, Lofa, and Bong counties.