CAMBODIA – Agriculture Minister, Dr. J. Alexander Nuetah, has held high-level talks with Cambodia’s Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, H.E. Dith Tina, as part of his ongoing six-day official working visit to the Kingdom of Cambodia.

The meeting focused on strengthening bilateral agricultural cooperation, boosting rice trade, promoting private-sector engagement, and exploring strategic partnerships to advance food security and agricultural modernization in Liberia.

The discussions also centered on opportunities for collaboration in rice production, agricultural investment, technology transfer, and value-chain development, including the possibility of exporting Cambodian rice to Liberia to support national food security efforts.

A release from the Ministry of Agriculture says the engagement reflects Liberia’s commitment to learning from global agricultural success stories and building partnerships to modernize farming systems, increase productivity, and improve the livelihoods of Liberian farmers.

Meanwhile, Mainland Group has committed to investing more than 36 million United States Dollars to establish rubber processing facilities and related operations in Liberia to strengthen the Country’s rubber value chain, expand market access for farmers, create jobs, and stimulate rural economic growth.

The commitment was made by Mainland Group during Agriculture Minister Dr. J. Alexander Nuetah’s working visit to the Kingdom of Cambodia. During the visit, Dr. Nuetah toured Cambodia’s largest rubber processing factory, operated by the Mainland Group, one of Asia’s leading agribusiness and rubber processing companies with extensive operations across Asia and Africa.

The release is quoted as saying that the visit provided firsthand insight into Cambodia’s advanced rubber processing systems, value addition mechanisms, and farmer integration models that have helped strengthen the country’s rubber industry.

The Mainland Group is currently investing in Liberia, particularly in agro-processing and agricultural value addition, after the company announced investments and expansion plans in rice processing, cassava processing, cocoa and coffee value chains, sugar production, warehouse infrastructure, and other agricultural industrialization initiatives in 2025.

The proposed 36 million United States Dollars investment is the development of a structured out-grower scheme designed to benefit Liberian smallholder rubber farmers directly, linking farmers to processing facilities through organized supply networks that guarantee reliable market access for their rubber production.

The initiative is also expected to improve income stability for thousands of smallholder farmers while addressing long-standing market uncertainties affecting Liberia’s rubber-producing communities.

Agriculture Minister Dr. J. Alexander Nuetah has since emphasized that Liberia’s agricultural transformation agenda is focused not only on attracting investment but also on ensuring that ordinary farmers remain at the center of national development efforts.

“Our priority is to build agricultural value chains that directly benefit Liberian farmers. This investment represents opportunity, stability, and long-term economic empowerment for thousands of rubber-producing households across Liberia,” Dr. Nuetah disclosed.

Liberia’s rubber sector remains one of the country’s most strategic agricultural industries, employing thousands of rural households and contributing significantly to national exports. However, many smallholder farmers continue to face challenges related to limited processing capacity, inconsistent market access, and fluctuating prices.

Minister Nuetah is quoted as saying, “The proposed investment by Mainland Group has the potential to help close critical gaps within the sector by expanding domestic processing capacity and strengthening farmer-to-market linkages nationwide”.

The Cambodian visit forms part of Minister Nuetah’s broader six-day official mission to strengthen bilateral agricultural cooperation, attract strategic investment, and identify innovative agricultural models to support Liberia’s national food security and agricultural industrialization agenda.