COCOA farmers under the aegis of Farmers Association of Nigeria (CFAN) have stated that their focus is to become the highest sustainable cocoa producing country in the world in the year 2027 with 80 per cent organic cocoa bean production.
National President of CFAN, Comrade Adeola Adegoke, dropped the hint during the week at the flagging-off of the Cocoa GAP handbook to Smallholder Farmers in Ogun State in Ijebu Ode.
He said this feat of 80 per cent organic cocoa production would be unprecedented when achieved in the world cocoa production history.
He stated that the launching of the free distribution of Cocoa GAP Handbook across the entire cocoa producing states and Ogun State will mark Nigeria path to sustainable cocoa production and good agronomic practices in the cocoa supply chain ahead of other cocoa producing countries like Ivory Coast, Ghana and Indonesia.
“We intend to partner with our value chain stakeholders to increase from the current 10 per cent to 50 per cent our locally processed beans and value addition before export, in order to generate more employment opportunities, more foreign exchange earnings, improved living income of our cocoa farmers via the collection of better pricing, LID and sustainable improved infrastructure around the cocoa communities.
Adegoke noted that CFAN and other cocoa partners like Harvestfield Industries Limited (CFAN Biggest Partner) , Cocoa Research Institute(CRIN), EBAFOSA, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development , Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment are seriously working towards the protection of human rights, remediation and conserving the environment in the cocoa communities and plantations.
“This is in response to the EU due diligence framework on child labor eradication and deforestation free cocoa beans production.
He stated that the Cocoa GAP Handbook has brought to fore the negative danger of child labor practices, deforestation activities, pesticides abuse and the real essence of traceability, certification, MRL, ecosystem, cocoa smart practices and other climate adaptation strategies.
“The Cocoa GAP Handbook will also address our poor production and productivity per hectare.
“We intend to change the 350kg/400kg per hectare in Nigeria and move it to 600kg per hectare by 2024 with 500,000 MT as against 340,000 MT currently producing), low usage of organic pesticide and fertilizer in cocoa production.
“Noncompliance with international best practices would also be revised. These moves will also support the livelihood of our smallholder cocoa farmers and their prosperity while our foreign exchange earnings will increase and the GDP of the cocoa producing States will be improved significantly”.
Speaking further, he said the Nigeria poor cocoa quality being reported daily by buyers, processors and exporters gave room for this advocacy program to enlighten and train the cocoa farmers on sustainable cocoa production.
The EU recent introduction of “Due Diligence legislation “ as earlier postulated above and the threat to reject all cocoa beans that are not sustainably sourced (farm to fork) informed our collective decision to salvage our cocoa industry.
“The scenario of bad cocoa quality beans could no longer be tolerated as a cocoa producing country and as an Association of cocoa farmers of Nigeria. We want to go back to the era where Nigeria was regarded as the best producer of grade one cocoa quality beans known as premium bean today.
“Our smallholder cocoa farmers must be educated, guided and supported on responsible and acceptable International cocoa practices in line with due diligence legislation/framework without any excuse”.
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