By E. J. Nathaniel Daygbor
Agroworld, a Liberian agricultural enterprise, has announced plans to invest between US$1.5 million and US$2 million in establishing regional agricultural hubs, warehouses, and quality-control facilities aimed at improving farmers’ productivity and expanding the country’s agricultural exports.
The initiative is expected to support farmers through improved access to financing, farm mapping, agricultural training, commodity aggregation, and compliance with international export standards, particularly the European Union’s deforestation regulations.
Speaking in an interview with The Oracle News Daily, the company’s Chief Executive Officer during the interview Mr. Dan Sayeh, said agriculture remains one of Liberia’s most important economic sectors but continues to face challenges that undermine food security and farmers’ livelihoods.
He noted that despite the sector’s contribution to employment and the country’s economic activities, many Liberian farmers remain constrained by inadequate financing, limited infrastructure, and difficulties accessing international markets.
“Agriculture is the lifeline of our country,” he said, emphasizing the need for practical interventions that transform subsistence farming into commercially productive agriculture.
According to him, Agroworld intends to create an enabling environment that will help farmers increase production, improve the quality of their commodities, and benefit more directly from agricultural trade.
A major component of the company’s strategy is addressing the longstanding difficulty farmers face in obtaining loans from commercial banks.
Mr. Sayeh said many financial institutions remain reluctant to lend to farmers because of the risks associated with agricultural production, including droughts, flooding, unpredictable rainfall, and other climate-related challenges.
He explained that these risks can affect harvests and farmers’ ability to repay loans, making agricultural lending unattractive to commercial banks.
To address the problem, Agroworld plans to serve as an intermediary between farmers and financial institutions, helping identify agricultural risks and develop mechanisms that could make lending to farmers more feasible.
The company has engaged consultants, including credit and risk-management specialists, to help develop a framework for discussions with commercial banks.
“We intend to serve as an intermediary between farmers and lending banks,” he explained, adding that the company is working to establish conditions that could reduce the risks associated with agricultural financing.
The proposed arrangement is expected to help farmers access the inputs and other support needed to increase production.
However, the company has yet to announce a finalized financing agreement with any commercial bank.
Agroworld also intends to establish five regional hubs to coordinate its operations and support farmers across Liberia.
According to Mr. Sayeh, the proposed hubs will cover different parts of the country, with locations under consideration in Bong, Grand Gedeh, Lofa, and Bomi Counties.
The hubs are expected to provide facilities and services designed to improve agricultural production, commodity handling, and export readiness.
The company plans to establish warehouses, fermentation facilities, solar-powered drying centers, and quality-control laboratories to ensure that agricultural commodities meet the standards required by international buyers.
He said the facilities would support the grading, testing, and quality assessment of produce before shipment.
The company’s initial focus will include cocoa, coffee, oil palm, and cassava, although it intends to expand into other agricultural commodities as its operations develop.
