Monrovia – The Liberia Agriculture Commodity Regulatory Authority (LACRA) is taking decisive action to protect the country’s economic interests and secure its position in global trade.
In a series of high-level consultative meetings held at its Freeport of Monrovia office, LACRA addressed two interconnected, critical challenges: the rampant smuggling of key commodities and the urgent need for compliance with the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR).
LACRA’s first consultative meeting brought together members of the Joint Security, including the Liberia National Police (LNP) and Immigration. The central focus was the continuous illegal export of cocoa beans, coffee, and palm oil to neighboring countries
Acting Director General Dan Saryee stressed the profound impact of this illicit trade on the national economy. “Cocoa is one of the key sources of our foreign exchange, and in order to grow our GDP, we must ensure it’s not illegally exported to other countries,” said DG Saryee.
“The foreign earnings we want are based on the volume of exports. We need to work assiduously to ensure we protect what is grown locally.”
Smuggling, often driven by volatile global prices, directly reduces Liberia’s official export volumes, leading to a loss of critical foreign currency and an understatement of the nation’s Gross Domestic Product.
It also undermines LACRA’s regulatory mandate and the long-term competitiveness of the sector.
The Deputy Director General for Operations and Technical Services Apha Gongolee and Acting Deputy Director for Administration and Finance Adophus Forkpa all attended the meeting and made remarks buttressing the Acting Director General.
Assistant Police Commissioner Prince Saylee and other high-ranking security officers pledged their full commitment to collaborate with LACRA to secure Liberia’s borders and production areas, thereby reasserting state control over its valuable agricultural resources.
The Joint Security Meeting was followed by a crucial meeting with international development partners, including representatives from the Swedish Embassy, the International Finance Corporation (IFC), and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO).
The discussion centered on Liberia’s compliance strategy for the new EUDR, a prerequisite for accessing the lucrative European market.
The EUDR mandates that key commodities imported into the EU must be verifiable as “deforestation-free” (not linked to land deforested after December 31, 2020) and have full traceability to the farm plot.
In response, DG Saryee unveiled LACRA’s strategic roadmap, which includes the establishment of a National Traceability System, initiating a nationwide farm mapping program to collect geolocation coordinates for every farm and developing a mobile application to digitally track farmers, farmland, and farmer identity.
These integrated steps will ensure that Liberian cocoa, coffee, and palm oil meet stringent international standards, safeguarding market access and positioning Liberia as a reliable and sustainable source of agricultural commodities,” he said. The partners praised LACRA vision for implementing the EUDR regulations.