28/07/2026
LACRA Eyes Global Coffee Market with Nationwide Seedling Distribution
Nation Television
The Liberia Agricultural Commodity Regulatory Authority (LACRA) has launched a nationwide coffee seedling distribution program aimed at reviving the country's coffee sector and restoring Liberia's position as a major player in the global coffee market.
The official launch took place on Tuesday, July 28, 2026, at LACRA's facility in B**g County, where more than 240 farmers represented by their leaders received 500 coffee seedlings each at no cost. The distribution marks the first phase of a nationwide exercise that will continue in Nimba, Lofa, Bomi, and Montserrado counties.
The seedlings include Coffea liberica, Robusta, and Arabica varieties, with Liberica making up the largest share. LACRA says its emphasis on Liberica reflects the country's unique heritage, as the variety originated in Liberia and is considered one of the nation's most valuable agricultural assets.
Launching the distribution, LACRA Director General Christopher Sankolo described the initiative as a major milestone in the government's efforts to rebuild Liberia's coffee industry and create new economic opportunities for farmers.
He said the distribution program forms part of LACRA's broader strategy to reposition Liberian coffee on the international market within the next three years. He lamented that Before 2030, LACRA aims to have more than five million coffee trees growing across Liberia.
Sankolo also revealed that the authority is engaging international investors and global coffee buyers to establish reliable markets for Liberian-grown coffee, ensuring that farmers benefit from sustainable commercial opportunities.
LACRA's Deputy Director General for Operations and Technical Services, Alpha Gongolee, while speaking, encouraged beneficiaries to make the most of the seedlings by maintaining them. He stressed that the project should not end like other previous ones.
LACRA DDGOTS emphasized that the success of the national coffee production depends largely on the commitment of farmers.
Deputy Director Alpha also disclosed that while establishing the coffee nursery, he and his technicians identified several Liberica coffee varieties, a discovery he said makes the coffee distant from others.
The launch brought together LACRA's development partners, including the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and the Central Agricultural Research Institute (CARI), along with farmers, agricultural technicians, local authorities, and community dwellers.
The partners reaffirmed their commitment to supporting Liberia's coffee industry through research, technical assistance, improved planting materials, and capacity-building for farmers.
Delivering remarks on behalf of IITA, Dr. Bhattacharjae Ranjan, the institute's focal person from Nigeria, urged farmers to adopt professional farming practices and maintain high production standards.
She explained that technical teams will regularly visit farms to monitor the coffee trees, identify and label the different varieties, and collect research data.
According to Dr. Ranjan, the monitoring process will help researchers identify the highest-quality coffee varieties as they mature, enabling Liberia to produce premium coffee capable of competing on the global market.
The nationwide distribution program represents one of LACRA's largest coffee development initiatives in recent years and reflects the government's renewed commitment to revitalizing the country's once-thriving coffee industry.
As the exercise continues across Liberia, officials say they remain optimistic that the initiative will lay the foundation for a vibrant and competitive coffee sector that creates jobs, increases farmers' incomes, boosts exports, and contributes significantly to the country's economic growth.
