US$29.6M onion, carrot imports leave Liberia’s local farming potential untapped
Industry stakeholders indicate that these volumes could be produced locally with policy support and investment.
LIBERIA – Liberia has spent an estimated US$29.6 million importing onions and carrots from the Netherlands during the 2025/26 season, despite possessing the climate and soil conditions to grow both crops year-round.
Trade data indicates imports reached 25,000 metric tons of onions and 8,000 metric tons of carrots, highlighting a significant economic gap in the country’s agricultural sector.
For investors, Liberia’s import dependency signals untapped agribusiness opportunities. Investors can provide the operational finance that local farmers lack, funding irrigation systems, cold storage facilities, and scaled production that captures the domestic market share currently held by Dutch exporters.
Rene Haveman of Terra Agric Liberia Inc. framed the issue in economic terms. “This is money leaving Liberia’s economy every season,” he said. “Our farmers can grow onions year-round, but they lack access to operational finance. Banks do not provide affordable credit, and without that support, farmers cannot scale production to meet national demand.”
The situation reflects broader trends across West Africa, where more than 600,000 metric tons of onions have been imported from the Netherlands during the same season. Industry stakeholders indicate that these volumes could be produced locally with policy support and investment.
In fact, onions and carrots are considered crops with relatively low production barriers, making them ideal targets for import-substitution strategies.
In addition, Haveman called for reciprocity in trade policy. “Import reciprocity must mean more than opening our markets to foreign goods,” he said. “It must also mean empowering Liberian farmers to produce for Liberian consumers. Otherwise, we remain dependent and vulnerable.”
Regarding regional food security and prices, Liberia’s reliance on imports exposes it to fluctuations in the European market, shipping disruptions, and currency volatility. Replacing even a portion of the US$29.6 million annual import bill with domestic production would stabilize local prices, create employment, and retain wealth within the Liberian economy.
Furthermore, Farmer organizations are requesting access to affordable credit, investment in irrigation and storage, and market protection mechanisms. The Netherlands, Haveman noted, provides a model. “The Netherlands has shown what coordinated agribusiness can achieve,” he said. “Liberia can replicate that success. But it requires government action, operational finance, and a commitment to reciprocity. The time to act is now.”
With strategic investment in infrastructure and financing, West Africa could transform its dependence on vegetable imports into regional self-sufficiency, creating a blueprint for addressing other commodity gaps across the continent.
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