The Liberia Agriculture Commodity Regulatory Authority (LACRA) has taken a major step toward strengthening Liberia’s oil palm sector with the validation of a new National Oil Palm Regulation, aimed at improving enforcement, quality control, and investor confidence across the country.
Speaking at a validation workshop, the Acting Director General of LACRA described the exercise as a turning point for one of Liberia’s most resilient and promising agricultural sectors. He emphasized that the consultation was not merely about reviewing a document, but about shaping the future of the oil palm industry, which plays a critical role in national food security and rural economic development.
For decades, the oil palm sector has suffered from weak, outdated, and poorly enforced regulations, limiting its growth and competitiveness. According to LACRA, the absence of a strong regulatory framework has made it difficult to ensure fair pricing, maintain international quality standards, and protect the integrity of the oil palm value chain. The new regulation is expected to address these long-standing challenges.
The Acting Director General highlighted the strategic importance of oil palm, noting that the industry supports thousands of livelihoods across Liberia—from large-scale concessionaires to smallholder farmers in rural communities. However, he stressed that without clear and enforceable rules, the sector cannot reach its full potential.
A key feature of the new regulatory direction is LACRA’s commitment to decentralization. Under a comprehensive decentralization strategy, LACRA will move away from being a Monrovia-based institution and expand its operational presence across the country. Five regional hubs are being established in Lofa, Bong, Nimba, Grand Gedeh, and Montserrado counties.
Through this approach, regulators, quality control officers, and inspectors will be stationed closer to production areas, ensuring faster grading and certification for producers, improved monitoring of nurseries and plantations, and consistent enforcement of regulations across all 15 counties.
The workshop also aimed to ensure that the draft regulations clearly define the roles, responsibilities, and protections of all stakeholders in the oil palm value chain, from nursery operators to exporters. LACRA urged participants to conduct a thorough and honest review of the document to ensure that the regulations are not only legally binding but also practical and effective in the field.
Once validated, finalized, and printed into a handbill, the regulations will carry the force of law. LACRA believes this will bring greater stability and transparency to the oil palm sector, helping to attract increased investment and strengthen confidence among local and international partners.
The Acting Director General concluded by calling on stakeholders to embrace the spirit of reform and expansion, reaffirming LACRA’s commitment to the Liberian farmer and the national economy as the country works to modernize and regulate its agricultural commodities sector.
Author: Melvin Jackson
