Farmers push for stronger govt involvement in cocoa production 

The Cocoa Farmers Association of Nigeria has called on the government to take a more active role in boosting sustainable cocoa production.

CFAN also outlined essential strategies for economic managers to strengthen sustainable cocoa production across the country.

In a communiqué issued by CFAN President, Adeola Adegoke, following its two-day third national cocoa festival and made available to PUNCH Online on Sunday, CFAN urged the federal government to prioritise local processing and consumption of cocoa products.

The association stressed that the government and the National Cocoa Management Committee need to lead efforts to update and harmonise available data on the cocoa value chain.

The association also called for increased awareness campaigns to inform stakeholders in the cocoa value chain about the European Union Deforestation Regulation and other relevant regulations.

“Farmers should take advantage of sustainability initiatives available to them and adopt best agronomic practices. The government, NCMC, National Task Force (NTF), and other stakeholders should intensify efforts to remove adulterated agrochemicals from the industry.

“There should be more capacity-building efforts for farmers on safe and responsible handling of agrochemicals and diversification for sustainability. The NCMC should ensure the completion and publication of the national cocoa policy.

“The government, NCMC, and NTF should update forest cover and land use maps in all cocoa-producing states. The government should review the existing land tenure system.

“A national traceability system should be initiated in collaboration with development partners and industry experts. Additionally, the government should support research institutes to increase farmers’ adoption of Climate Smart Agricultural practices,” CFAN recommended.

CFAN also advised the federal government to introduce a policy on agroforestry practices in cocoa farming, emphasising the need for stakeholders to establish effective collaboration and feedback mechanisms with industry players.

“The government should create an enabling environment for private

sector and youth participation in the cocoa value chain for sustainability.

“More efforts are needed to improve infrastructure development in rural cocoa-growing areas. Policy interventions should aim to stabilise the naira and make it easier for farmers to access foreign exchange for essential imports.

“The NCMC should collaborate with leading cocoa-producing countries, learn from their strategies, and work closely with them to foster sustainable industry growth.

“The government and MDAs should establish platforms and attractive opportunities for youths to learn cocoa value chain skills, including soap making, chocolate production, and cocoa powder processing, in collaboration with the Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria,” CFAN added.

The communiqué noted that Nigeria’s cocoa industry, a significant contributor to the national economy, faces substantial challenges in meeting European Union Deforestation Regulations. To address these issues and explore growth opportunities, CFAN and the Cocoa Roundtable Initiative (CORI) convened relevant local and international stakeholders at its 3rd National Cocoa Festival, tagged “Calabar 2024,” where over 300 participants discussed achieving EUDR compliance and sustainability through youth entrepreneurship.