The Cocoa Farmers Association of Nigeria, CFAN, has called for a board to regulate development within the cocoa industry.
He praised President Bola Tinubu for approving the change of the National Cocoa Management Committee into a board in line with farmers’ request
It spoke through its president and that of Global President of Cocoa Farmers Alliance Association of Africa, Comrade Adeola Adegoke.
He said “The major assignment of the board will be to support the regulation, production, productivity and the incentivization of the industry through a direct support to the cocoa farmers whose livelihoods have been threatened by the fluctuations of cocoa prices or dynamics of the sector without a deliberate support to the cocoa farmers who are the golden hens that lay the golden eggs and whom often provide their inputs and infrastructure for themselves in their cocoa production communities.
“It is the belief of the Cocoa Farmers Alliance Association of Africa (COFAAA), Nigeria Chapter and Cocoa Farmers Association of Nigeria (CFAN) and other cocoa industry players who have been consistently agitating that the Nigerian cocoa industry cannot continue to be on autopilot position but that there must a deliberate plan to repositioning it to regain the lost glory of the cocoa economy which had contributed to the generation of foreign exchange, provide employment for millions of people, livelihoods for the thousands of cocoa farmers and their families and generated a total exports values of N356.16 billion worth of cocoa beans and its allied products in the year 2023 while about N2. 7 trillion (US$1.76 billion) was approximately the total cocoa value exports in the year 2024.
“Nigeria is currently at seventh position in the global cocoa production and fourth in Africa according to ICCO figures”.
He hoped that the narrative will change with the recent intervention of the Federal Government.
His words, “It is our belief that Nigeria has what it takes to become a leading cocoa producing country in Africa if the board is put in place to drive the Nigeria Cocoa Plan and put in place enabling policies back up with funding that will create a resurgence in cocoa production across the cocoa producing States by carrying out massive rehabilitation along a sustainable practices that align with international standards which entails traceability, agroforestry & agroecology practices, due diligence, quality control, local processing, youth inclusiveness etc.”
He also appealed to the Ondo State Government”to look into the plight of the cocoa farmers in Ore, Odigbo local government whose livelihoods have been threatened by the approved Oil Palm production investment by SAO company in the area which have gravely affected cocoa farms of some of the cocoa farmers in the affected communities located in the Government Reserve areas.
“We plead that Ondo State Government should look into the matter discreetly bearing in mind that Ondo State is a leading cocoa producing States in Nigeria with about 90,000 MTS which could affect the cocoa production expansion future of the State if care is not taken and also negatively impacted the livelihoods and survival of the affected farmers with their dependable families”.
He also congratulated the Cocoa Association of Nigeria (CAN) on the successful hosting of its event in Akure recently which dwelt on deforestation free cocoa production for Nigeria which is the pathway to a sustainable cocoa economy for our future cocoa industry.
