Agriculture Minister Urges Diaspora Liberians to Invest in Domestic Food Production

Published: September 28, 2026

ALEXANDRIA, Virginia, USA — Agriculture Minister Dr. J. Alexander Nuetah has called on Liberians in the diaspora to leverage their capital, expertise, business networks and international connections to invest in Liberia’s agriculture sector and attract credible partners to boost domestic food production.

By Roseline Gbessagee

Addressing the Liberia Diaspora Annual Conference 2026 in Alexandria, Virginia, Nuetah urged diaspora Liberians to move beyond supporting agriculture from abroad by investing directly in food production, processing, agribusiness and other areas of the agricultural value chain.

Highlighting rice in particular, the Minister noted that Liberia continues to import more than 60 percent of the rice it consumes, despite having the land, favorable climate and domestic market needed to significantly expand local production.

“If you come to Liberia and grow more rice, we will have the market for it. We’ll buy it from you,” he told the gathering.

According to Nuetah, the government has recruited 138 agricultural technicians to strengthen extension services, while a digital farmer-registration system is being introduced to better identify farmers, determine where they are located and improve the targeting of agricultural support.

He emphasized, however, that increasing agricultural production alone will not transform the sector, stressing the need for greater private investment in processing, aggregation, storage, value addition and marketing to create reliable markets for farmers.

The Minister identified rice, cassava, cocoa, coffee, maize, soybeans, rubber, chili/cayenne pepper, cashew and aquaculture as among the areas offering investment opportunities.

He therefore called on diaspora Liberians to leverage their capital, expertise, business networks and international connections to invest directly and attract credible partners into Liberia’s agriculture sector.

“We call upon you as Liberians in the diaspora to find opportunities there for investment in your country,” he said.

Minister Nuetah further said Liberia’s abundant agricultural land, favorable climate, and growing domestic demand create significant opportunities to expand commercial farming, generate employment, and reduce the country’s reliance on imported food.