The Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria (CRIN), Ibadan, propagated and distributed 300,000 hybrid cocoa seedlings to farmers across Nigeria in 2021.
The Executive Director of CRIN, Dr Patrick Adebola, made this known on Wednesday.
Adebola said the seedlings were used for gapping up and new cocoa production.
This, he said, will definitely lead to increased cocoa hectarage in Nigeria, increased cocoa productivity and income of farmers that benefited from the distribution when the transplanted cocoa seedlings start fruiting.
“This will also boost the contribution of cocoa to Gross Domestic Product – GDP.
“Plans have also been put in place to raise more than 500,000 high yielding and disease resistant cocoa seedlings in 2022, in order to meet the increasing demand for hybrid cocoa seedlings by farmers,” Adebola said
He said that the institute had also created awareness on its developed cocoa TC series.
The executive director explained that the TC series were hybrid cocoa with more yield, more resistance to pest and diseases and early fruiting – about 18 months after transplanting.
He said the institute had organised trainings for cocoa farmers on the appropriate ways of carrying out nursery establishment.
“This programme was co-organised with PIND – Foundation for the Partnership Initiatives in the Niger Delta, at the Owena Substation of Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria.
“We also had training of Extension Officers on Managing Soils for Increased Productivity and Decreased Deforestation in Cocoa.
“It was a collaborative programme between CRIN and Cocoa Soils project.
“We had training of IFAD incubatees on cocoa nursery, cocoa production and cocoa marketing under IFAD/FGN empowerment programme,” he said.
Adebola added that there was also distribution of hybrid cocoa seedlings to cocoa farmers in cocoa producing agro-ecological zones in Nigeria.
“We successfully carried out research work on CRIN mandate crops (Cocoa, Kola, Cashew, Coffee and Tea) in the area of production, processing and marketing.
“The country has been able to witness more cocoa output thereby increasing more cocoa export, CRIN has successfully trained farmers on the most economical ways of combining cocoa as an arable crop.
“The main objective is to increase the overall income of the farmers and more importantly to increase food security status of the farming households,” Adebola said.
He said that one of the challenges of the institute was inadequate fund to carry out research activities as and when due.
“There is challenge of inadequate project vehicles, this is really disrupting the effective carrying out of research work occasionally.
“Also, the advent of COVID-19 which necessitated ‘stay at home’ for a substantial part of the year was a challenge to some operations in the institute during the year,’’ he said.