Manufacturing and construction together account for approximately 12 percent of the GDP and employ about 3 percent. Agriculture is the chief occupation in Liberia. Many Liberian families raise crops on small plots of land owned by their communities. Cassava, rice, sugar cane, and tropical fruits are the chief food crops. Most of the farmers also raise sheep, goats, pigs, and other livestock.
Most Liberian farmers use old-fashioned farming methods, and few have modern farm machinery.
Liberia's farmers produce goods mainly for their own families, and so there is little to sell to city dwellers. As a result, the country must import much of its food. Large rubber plantations owned by foreign companies employ many Liberians. Farmers on these plantations use modern methods to produce rubber, Liberia's main agricultural export. Other crops exported from Liberia include cacao, which is used to make cocoa, and coffee.