OUR STORY
In 1962, Julius Cooper, a young agricultural economist, began working to improve the production of Liberian Red Country Rice, a super grain that is rich in antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. Fabrar Liberia, Inc. was founded in 2009 by Julius Cooper’s children and grandchildren to continue his legacy of creating value for Liberian rice.
Fabrar is a Liberian-owned agribusiness holding company with the social purpose of increasing the access of Liberian farmers to local and international markets. Located in the heart of the country’s agriculture belt, we aim to positively influence agri-business in Liberia’s rural communities by combining a sound business strategy with good social practice.
This is why our commercial arm works to add value to and creates markets for Liberian rice; while our social arm seeks to strengthen the network of farmers we work with and provide opportunities for them to prosper. We believe in the farmers that we work with and we believe that our country naturally grows some of the best and most nutritious rice there is. Our purpose is to bring that rice to the world.
OUR VISION
Our vision is to create a virtuous cycle where prosperous Liberian food producers and smallholder farmers are able to profit from their labor while providing customers a quality and nutritious grain they are happy to buy.
ABOUT OUR RICE & Spice
RICE
Since 3,500 BC, West Africans have cultivated rice in coastal wetlands and mountainous flood plains. Early sailors and navigators named the area around Liberia “The Grain Coast” and made mention of the distinctive red rice that is indigenous to this area. Fabrar Liberia Inc., the country’s largest commercial rice producer, is delighted to present to the world Liberia’s own organically-grown super-grain, our “Country Rice” or “Red Rice.”
SPICE
Liberia has long been known for using robust and flavorful blends of spices to bring life to our cuisine. Five Pepper Spice features a perfect marriage between traditional Liberian spices and other zesty ingredients, grown at Ora-Gene Farms in Vahnyeama, Margibi County, Liberia; inciting an explosion of flavor for the palate. This spice is great as an all-purpose seasoning for meat, fish and vegetables; use as a rub, in stews and soups, stir-fries or simply sprinkled over finished dishes.
OUR TEAM
The Fabrar team is comprised of a carefully curated group of passionate professionals who possess decades of combined experience from diverse backgrounds. It is due to the collective efforts of our team and management that we are Liberia’s top rice manufacturer. Each employee is dedicated to carrying out our mission and vision and making a positive contribution every day. That’s what makes Fabrar work.
FREEMAN FORD DENNIS
SENIOR PARTNER
Freeman Ford Dennis joined the management team of Fabrar Liberia Inc. In February 2020 as Senior Partner/Trustee. He has over 45 years of management experience in various international and local business enterprises in Liberia. He is a Management Consultant who is also developing a rice and vegetable farm as well as being a senior member of the management team of Fabrar. Mr Dennis has been a member of Fabrar's board and an advisor to the company since 2012. He holds a Masters Degree in Business Administration and Human Resources.
SAMUEL G. MENTEE
TECHNICAL ADVISOR
Samuel G. Mentee has over three decades of experience managing farm production systems in Liberia. Mr. Mentee worked for several years with various NGOs such as Catholic Relief Services; managing their seed banks and farm production services and organizing seed fairs. A seasoned agricultural technician, he has a wealth of experience in agricultural project management and NGO management as well as in project development, monitoring and implementation and farming in Liberia.
FRANCIS B. COOPER
CHIEF OPERATIONS OFFICER
Francis B. Cooper has more than 21 years of experience as a logistics and technical manager for the NGO Médecins Sans Frontières-Belgium in Liberia and in various disaster-prone countries (Cote d’Ivoire, Sudan, DRC, Pakistan, Indonesia, etc). He has coordinated, started and managed operations in sizeable MSF missions under the most challenging of circumstances. He has been a member of Fabrar's board since 2011.
BRICE HEFFINCK
ADMINISTRATIVE MANAGER
Brice Heffinck is the Administrative and Sales manager for FABRAR Liberia Inc. since February 2020. His role is to manage the day to day sales activities both locally and internationally. He is the former agent for COSCO Shipping Lines through a partnership with Bollore Logistics. He has 3 years of experience in the supply chain industry providing market analysis, producing quotations for logistical services and managing import/export documentation and formalities for both local and international clients.
WHYKIES MENTEE
CHIEF PRODUCTION MANAGER
Whykies Mentee has operated agri-businesses for some 27 years primarily in Margibi County. He has also worked for two years with the NGO Médecins Sans Frontières-Belgium, managing their warehousing and procurement in Ganta, Nimba County. He has successfully and simultaneously managed up to 4 rubber plantations at a time, ensuring rubber production and sales, personnel management, procurement of inputs, etc. He has also been a commercial rice farmer for a number of years. From its establishment, he has overseen the entire operation of Fabrar Liberia while also ensuring the initial production of rice on Fabrar managed farm holdings.
OUR FARMERS
While Fabrar uses our commercial arm to add value to and create a market for Liberia’s agricultural products; our social arm builds the capacity of our smallholder farmers and provides gainful market access that allows them to grow their farms and businesses sustainably. Through these activities, Fabrar is building a solid consumer demand for high quality domestically produced rice while also raising farm incomes and positively impacting the socio-economic wellbeing of the people with whom we work.
The Rice Mill
To preserve the richness of the grains our farmers grow, Fabrar uses a state-of-the art rice milling facility.
From parboiling to drying; cleaning to husking; polishing to packaging, all the equipment and processes we use are designed to produce the best quality rice possible.
We take pride in our rice, and that pride is reflected in the tools we use to mill it.
Partnerships
Mary’s Meals
BESTWA
Since 2018, Fabrar has been providing BESTWA with rice for their Feeding Program Education Project. BESTWA provides starving children with a nutritious meal each day. Their Feeding Program Education Project works directly with the child's parent or caretaker and local school to find the best fit for their educational needs. They pay the school directly, and in turn the school provides attendance and grade information to us for follow up.