Dried shelled legumes market in Liberia

Earlier Report Observations

From 2018 to 2020, the market for dried shelled legumes in Liberia saw considerable movement. In 2018, the government's announced drive for food self-sufficiency by 2022 and the creation of the Liberia Special Economic Zone Authority to spur investment preceded a market expansion of 11% to 9 600 t in 2019, fueled by a sharp 86% rise in imports. The following year, broader trade challenges, including reliance on foreign assistance and high taxes, contributed to an 18% drop in imports and a 3% contraction in total market volume to 9 287 t.

After stabilizing in 2021, the market grew by 5% to 9 712 t in 2022. This increase coincided with the launch of the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zone project to develop agro-industry and the establishment of the Liberia Agriculture Commodity Regulatory Authority to oversee commodity quality, which supported a 4% rise in domestic production. In 2023, shifting global agricultural commodity prices and a moderation in domestic consumer inflation influenced purchasing patterns, leading to a 26% fall in imports and a 7% decline in overall market volume to 9 073 t.

Production dried shelled legumes in Liberia

In kind, 2017-2020, t

Top producers of dried shelled legumes, 2017-2020

World map of production of dried shelled legumes, 2017-2020

Liberia's production of dried shelled legumes has increased for the third consecutive year. In 2020, the country produced 7 727 tonnes, marking a 0.6% rise compared to 2019.

Annual dynamics of production in Liberia in kind, 2017-2020, t

Exports dried shelled legumes from Liberia

Exports in kind, t

In 2020, Liberia's exports of dried shelled legumes reached 1 tonne, remaining relatively stable compared to the previous year. Between 2017 and 2020, exports declined by 97.5%, which translates to an annualized decrease of 70.8%.

Annual dynamics of product's exports from Liberia in kind, 2017-2020, t

From 2017 to 2020, the export pattern for dried shelled legumes showed a strong reliance on Portugal, which accounted for 97.6% of total exports.

Structure of product's exports in kind by countries, 2017-2020

World map of product's exports from Liberia in kind, 2017-2020

Exports in value, K $ US

In 2020, the value of Liberia's dried shelled legumes exports was 0.2 thousand US dollars, showing little change from the year before. Over the period from 2017 to 2020, exports fell by 91.1%, with a compound annual growth rate of -55.3%.

Annual dynamics of product's exports from Liberia in value, 2017-2020, K $ US

Between 2017 and 2020, the export market in value terms was highly concentrated, with Portugal alone responsible for 91.8% of total export value.

Structure of product's exports in value by countries, 2017-2020

World map of product's exports from Liberia in value, 2017-2020

Imports dried shelled legumes to Liberia

Imports in kind, t

The data shows irregular changes, indicating a volatile market environment. Imports reached their lowest point in 2018 at 1 028 tonnes and peaked in 2019 at 1 915 tonnes, representing a 1.9-fold difference between these years. In 2020, imports stood at 1 561 tonnes, down 18.5% from the previous year. The largest decline occurred in 2018, with a drop of 28.9%, while the largest increase was in 2019, with a rise of 86.3%.

Annual dynamics of product's imports to Liberia in kind, 2017-2020, t

From 2017 to 2020, the main sources for Liberia's imports of dried shelled legumes were Canada (43.7% of imports), the United States (23.1%), and Argentina (12.1%). Together, these three countries accounted for 78.8% of total imports.

Structure of product's imports in kind by countries, 2017-2020

World map of product's imports to Liberia in kind, 2017-2020

Imports in value, K $ US

In 2020, Liberia imported dried shelled legumes worth 1 165 thousand US dollars, an 11.0% decrease from the previous year. The lowest value was recorded in 2018 at 905 thousand US dollars, while the highest was in 2019 at 1 309 thousand US dollars. The largest decline occurred in 2018, with a 23.8% drop, and the largest increase was in 2019, with a 44.7% rise.

Annual dynamics of product's imports to Liberia in value, 2017-2020, K $ US

Over the period from 2017 to 2020, the United States (41.1% of import value), Canada (34.8%), and Argentina (9.8%) were the primary suppliers of dried shelled legumes to Liberia, collectively making up 85.7% of total import value.

Structure of product's imports in value by countries, 2017-2020

World map of product's imports to Liberia in value, 2017-2020