Published: November 17, 2025
PAYNESVILLE — Liberia’s plank industry is struggling due to difficult working conditions, increasing operational costs, and what traders call government neglect, based on a series of on-site interviews at plank fields along Pipeline Road and the Omega wood market.
From sawdust-covered yards to busy roadside stalls, workers, especially women, say the sector is collapsing as local dealers struggle with poor forest roads, heavy fees imposed by the Forestry Development Authority (FDA), and the growing influence of foreign traders in a business legally reserved for Liberians.
At Pipeline Road, where dozens of young men were cutting, loading, and measuring lumber, Kaba Yanquoi Moore, chairman of Light Brotherhood Incorporated, said the problems begin deep in the forest.
“Getting our product from the bush is the biggest challenge,” Moore said. “Truck drivers overcharge because the roads are dangerous, and everything becomes expensive by the time we reach the market.”
Women at Omega: ‘We Are Suffering’
At the Omega wood-selling market, several female plank dealers expressed frustration at what they described as an increasingly unbearable business environment.
“The business is almost like a risk,” said Patience Kwee. “FDA charges us heavily, drivers take exorbitant fares, and when we finally reach town, the planks can stay long before anyone buys them. Sometimes they rot, and we lose everything.”
Another trader described the emotional and physical strain of the work.
“We ride on trucks from the forest just to protect our wood,” she said. “But when we come here, there is no motivation. We are only hoping God will change things.”
Sarah Swah, three years in the trade, appealed for direct government support. “If the government can empower us with loans or grants, our business will improve. FDA needs to relax the high fees. We can’t survive like this.”
Kaba Yanquoi Moore, chairman of Light Brotherhood Incorporated
Foreign Traders Tighten Grip on the Sector
Both Moore and the women traders accused Lebanese and Indian dealers of dominating a sector that Liberia’s Liberianization Policy reserves exclusively for citizens.
“The Lebanese and Indians buy the planks from us and take them to their stores,” one woman said. “Government prefers working with them instead of us, the Liberians who are paying taxes.”
Moore echoed the concern, saying the law intended to protect local traders is “only on paper.”
Heavy FDA Fees, Delays and Roadblocks
Moore said the FDA charges 60 cents for every plank leaving the forest, a fee many cannot pay right away. When sellers cannot produce cash, their trucks sit for days at checkpoints, which causes more damage to the wood.
“Sometimes I have to call FDA officials before trucks are released,” he said. Women at Omega say the delays cause their planks to lose quality, leading to huge losses.
A Failing Sector in a Weak Economy
Moore added that the unstable exchange rate and low purchasing power are hurting sales, as fewer Liberians can afford to build or renovate homes.
“This is one of the largest Liberian-owned plank institutions in Montserrado,” he said. “Yet we’ve never received a government contract.”
Calls for Immediate Government Action
Traders interviewed urged the government to ease fees, enforce the Liberianization Policy, provide loans or grants, support forest road openings and include local plank dealers in public contract awards.
“We are a credible Liberian business,” Moore said. “We are right here on Pipeline Road, ready for partnership. We just need support.”
For the women at Omega, the plea is one of survival.
“We are not asking for much,” a dealer said softly. “Just a chance to work and live in our own country.”
Discussion about this post