Monrovia, Liberia – The Performing Director Normal of the Liberia Agricultural Commodity Regulatory Authority (LACRA), Hon. Dan Saryee, alongside Deputy for Operations and Technical Providers, Apha Gongolee, has departed Liberia for an exploratory mission to the Republic of Ivory Coast, the world’s largest cocoa producer.
The high-level go to, which runs till Saturday, September 20, goals to deepen LACRA’s understanding of the Ivorian cocoa sector, an trade valued at over $3.3 billion in exports in 2023 alone, and discover alternatives for constructing sustainable partnerships that might profit Liberia’s cocoa farmers.
Throughout their mission, Performing DG Saryee and Deputy Gongolee are anticipated to have interaction with a number of key establishments, together with the Ivorian Espresso and Cocoa Regulatory Authority (CCC), the Wild Chimpanzee Basis (WCF), and the Rainforest Alliance. They will even tour cocoa farms, fermentation facilities, packaging factories, cooperatives, and jute bag manufacturing amenities to achieve firsthand insights into sustainable practices and superior post-harvest processes.
“This mission is about studying from one of the best and tailoring that information to strengthen Liberia’s cocoa worth chain,” a LACRA official mentioned, highlighting the broader purpose of enhancing farmer livelihoods and boosting export competitiveness.
The go to aligns with the brand new LACRA administration’s agenda to decentralize operations and supply direct assist to cocoa farmers. Present reforms embrace:
Establishing regional warehouses to deal with power storage challenges. Introducing sensible farmer coaching on post-harvest methods resembling fermentation and drying. Developing photo voltaic dryers in main cocoa-producing areas to enhance bean high quality for export.
These interventions, in line with LACRA, are designed to place Liberia’s cocoa trade on a path towards each high quality enchancment and international market compliance.
A vital a part of LACRA’s technique is addressing the European Union Deforestation Rules (EUDR), which require exporters to show that agricultural merchandise getting into the EU market, together with cocoa, usually are not linked to deforestation after December 31, 2020.
To fulfill this requirement, LACRA is growing a traceability system to trace cocoa beans from farm to port, guaranteeing Liberian cocoa can entry the profitable EU market.
Observers say the exploratory mission to Ivory Coast, lengthy acknowledged as a world chief in cocoa manufacturing, might be pivotal for Liberia because it seeks to rework its cocoa sector right into a aggressive and sustainable driver of rural growth.
Performing DG Saryee and Deputy Gongolee are anticipated to return to the nation on Saturday, 20 September 2025.
