Rome, Italy– Agriculture Minister Dr. J. Alexander Nuetah has unveiled a US$370 million agricultural investment portfolio at the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Hand-in-Hand Investment Forum in Rome, rallying international investors, development finance institutions and agribusiness leaders to support Liberia’s drive to boost domestic food production, reduce import dependence and create thousands of jobs.
By Augustus D.R Bortue@frontpageafricaonline.com
Minister Nuetah, accompanied by a high-level Liberian delegation, is attending the 2026 World Food Forum, being held from October 8–16 at FAO headquarters under the theme, “Innovate Today. Nourish Tomorrow.”
The gathering brings together government leaders, investors and development partners to advance agricultural investment, innovation and global food security.
Presenting Liberia’s investment opportunities on Wednesday, October 14, under the theme, “Liberia: From Import Dependence to Food Self-Sufficiency,” Minister Nuetah outlined four priority investment areas: US$243 million for rice, US$70 million for cocoa, US$32 million for cassava and US$25 million for maize.
“Liberia should not remain a country with abundant agricultural potential that depends heavily on imported food. We must turn our land and natural agricultural endowment into food, wealth, employment and prosperity,” the Minister declared.
Rice accounts for the largest share of the proposed investments, reflecting the Government’s determination to reduce import dependence. Domestic production currently meets only 35 to 40 percent of national demand, while rice imports exceeded US$75 million during the first half of 2026.
With more than 600,000 hectares of potentially irrigable land, Minister Nuetah highlighted opportunities to invest in irrigation, mechanized production, modern milling facilities, and market development.
“Our ambition is not simply to grow more rice. It is to build a competitive domestic industry that serves not just Liberian consumers but continental Africa and the rest of the world,” he emphasized.
The Minister also highlighted opportunities in cassava processing for industrial starch and animal feed, cocoa production and value addition, and maize cultivation to support Liberia’s poultry and livestock industries.
The four investment opportunities are projected to benefit about 23,900 people directly and 119,700 indirectly, creating jobs, expanding markets, and improving livelihoods, particularly for smallholder farmers, women, and young people.
With agriculture contributing approximately 29 to 34 percent of Liberia’s GDP and employing more than 60 percent of the workforce, Minister Nuetah stressed the importance of private investment in unlocking the sector’s largely untapped potential.
He assured prospective investors of the Government’s commitment to facilitating investment through One-Stop-Shop services, investment incentives, agro-industrial processing zones and duty-free provisions for eligible agricultural machinery and inputs.
“Capital does not move on ambition alone. Investors need credible information, sound project preparation, clear implementation arrangements and a supportive policy environment.
The Government of Liberia(GoL) is committed to providing these,” he stated.
Concluding his investment presentation, Minister Nuetah invited international investors, financial institutions and development partners to engage directly with the Liberian delegation and explore opportunities to transform the proposals into concrete investments.
“Let us move from agricultural potential to productive investment. From import dependence to food self-sufficiency. And from underused resources to a prosperous, resilient and inclusive agricultural economy,” he urged.
The Minister thanked FAO for providing a platform to connect Liberia’s agricultural priorities with international financing, expertise, and commercial partnerships.
In a related engagement earlier in the day, Minister Nuetah participated in a high-level panel discussion titled “From Bean to Bar: Ensuring Chocolate’s Value Reaches Cocoa Farmers,” alongside senior representatives of the Democratic Republic of Congo, European Investment Bank, African Development Bank and global chocolate manufacturer Ferrero.
The discussion examined how cocoa-producing countries can secure greater benefits from the global chocolate industry through improved farmer incomes, stronger market access, sustainable production and increased investment in processing and value addition.
For Liberia, the engagement highlighted the country’s growing potential as an emerging cocoa producer in West Africa and the importance of attracting private investment in processing, aggregation, storage, and marketing to strengthen competitiveness in international markets.
The discussion also reinforced Liberia’s US$70 million cocoa investment proposal, which seeks to expand production, promote value addition and improve market opportunities for more than 40,000 smallholder cocoa farmers.