Liberia Secures $36 Million Commitment for Rubber Processing Facilities

Liberia has secured a US$36 million investment commitment from Cambodia-based Mainland Group to establish rubber processing facilities and support smallholder farmers. The commitment was announced on Tuesday during Minister Nuetah's six-day official working visit to Cambodia. The Liberian delegation toured Mainland Group's flagship rubber processing facility in Phnom Penh.

Under the proposed agreement, Mainland Group plans to invest approximately US$36 million in establishing rubber processing facilities and supporting operations in Liberia. The company operates across Asia and Africa and is expanding its footprint in West Africa's agribusiness sector.

A key feature of the investment is its focus on smallholder farmers through an out-grower scheme designed to link producers directly to processing facilities. The structured supply model is expected to improve market access, stabilize prices, and reduce income volatility for thousands of rural households dependent on rubber cultivation.

"Our priority is to build agricultural value chains that directly benefit Liberian farmers," Agriculture Minister Dr. Alexander Nuetah said during the engagement. " The Ministry of Agriculture explained that the scheme seeks to address long-standing challenges in Liberia's rubber sector, where smallholder farmers often face low farm-gate prices, delayed payments, and limited access to reliable buyers.

Officials said the project represents a shift toward agro-industrial development, focusing on value addition rather than the export of raw commodities. Rubber remains one of Liberia's most important cash crops and foreign exchange earners, but limited domestic processing has historically constrained national earnings and job creation.

By expanding local processing capacity, the government expects the investment to generate employment, increase farmer incomes, and improve Liberia's ability to retain more value within its economy.

Group has also expressed interest in expanding beyond rubber, with the Ministry indicating that the company is exploring opportunities in rice and cassava processing, cocoa and coffee value chains, sugar production, and warehouse infrastructure development.

Officials described the rubber initiative as the first phase of a broader agricultural industrialization agenda. Implementation details, including site selection and project timelines, are expected to be finalized by technical teams from both Liberia and Mainland Group in the coming months.

The delegation is expected to hold further engagements with additional Cambodian agribusiness firms before returning to Monrovia.