1st National cocoa festival: We’ve earned N122.89bn from export of raw cocoa beans, products — FG
By Akintunde Jacobs, Akure
The Federal Government has disclosed that N122.89 billion was earned from the export of raw Cocoa beans and Cocoa products in the first quarter of the year 2022 in the Country.
Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development,Muhammed Abubakar, the who disclosed this on Thursday in Akure, the Ondo State Capital at the 1st National Cocoa Festival, entitled “Stakeholders Collaboration To Make Nigeria Cocoa Industry Sustainable, however, said “it is now obvious that Nigeria cannot continue to rely on crude oil to develop economically, going by the instability of crude oil prices due to the Russian-Ukraine war.”
Abubakar, therefore, reiterated the Federal Government’s commitment towards supporting the Agricultural sector in its quest in order to diversify the economy, especially in the area of increase in cocoa production to ensure that Nigeria regains its position as one of the highest cocoa producing countries in the world.
According to him, diversification was no longer a myth but a reality.
Abubakar, who was represented by the Ministry Southwest Zonal Director, Omolara Abimbola-Oguntuyi, maintained that agriculture holds the key to the collective survival as a people both in terms of job creation, income generation, food, and nutritional security as well as foreign exchange earnings.
The Cocoa Farmers Association of Nigeria (CFAN) said it would soon commence the process of the enumeratio bio-data collection of all the cocoa famers in Nigeria.
The CFAN National President, Adeola Adegoke, in his address said “this task will be done in collaboration with our cocoa value chain stakeholders across the cocoa producing states and our cocoa communities traditional leaders.”
According to him, this would enable the investors, policy makers and other relevant stakeholders to know all the information they need about their cocoa bean, cocoa plantation environment, inputs GAP, activities in the cocoa plantations.
Adegoke, also called on all the beneficiaries of their bank loan across the producing cocoa states to repay their loan fully without any further delay in order to sustain the financing and refinancing of the cocoa production sub-sector by the CBN and other financial partners.
He said this was the only way to guarantee the continuity of such programmes and to sustain the supports to the cocoa industry.
“Beneficiaries must note that defaulters shall face prosecution by the Association in due course,” Adegoke said.
Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, who also spoke at the event, said the State Government would continue to provide enabling environment for businesses to strive in the state.
Akeredolu, who was represented by his Senior Special Assistant on Agric and Agribusiness, Akin Olotu, urged the stakeholders across the states to support the cocoa production in the country.
According to him, the Ondo State being the leading cocoa producer in Nigeria, was more committed to promoting its production and value addition in the state and Nigeria as a whole.
“Stakeholders in the Nigeria cocoa value chain must be united to think outside the box, work for increased funding and speak with one voice to move our cocoa production forward.
“It may interest you to note that Ondo State had moved ahead to foster collaboration amongst all stakeholders in the cocoa industry which is in line with the objective of this August gathering,” Akeredolu said.
The Ooni of Ife, Oba Eniitan Adeyeye Ogunwusi, who was decorated as the Grand Patron of Cocoa Famers Association of Nigeria, said in order to make Nigeria cocoa industry sustainable, all cocoa producing states in the country must contribute their qouta to the development of cocoa production in the country.
