The President, Cocoa Farmers Association of Nigeria (CFAN), Comrade Adeola Adegoke has expressed worry over the quality of cocoa produced in the country and the imminent rejection of the product by the European Union 2022.
Adegoke while speaking in Abuja on Wednesday at a press briefing in preparation for the 2021 CFAN Summit noted that the EU policy on overdose of chemicals on our cocoa would result to its rejection.
“Our buyers are complaining on quality, they are now threatening Nigeria that they are going to reject our cocoa, that is a very serious issues that would be addressed at the summit.
“We are also looking at the EU policy which says as long as we continue to use chemicals more than the original level, it will be rejected 2022.”
“Are we go wait till 2022, like we did during the beans ban? We don’t need to wait for this, the summit will address this issues”.
Similarly, Adegoke lamented the poor production level of 250,000 metric tones which the country presently produces which is abysmally low compared to other countries.
Explaining, Adegoke said “This very important in our drive, presently, it is unacceptable to us as a stakeholder for Nigeria to have the land, resources and manpower and for us to be producing 250,000 metric tones where ivory coast that does not enjoy the land that we have produces about 2.5 million – 2.8 million metric tones, even Ghana produces 1.5 million metric tones”.
He further explained that the statistics and status quo of Nigeria being the second largest producer of cocoa in the world has dropped, while other African countries are producing in million times, but we are still behind.
He noted that Nigeria is getting it all wrong in area of her productivity per hectare.
“Our average productivity per hectare is rated to be about 300 to 350 kg, where in Ghana and Ivory coast, an average production per hectare is 800-1000kg”.
Adegoke stressed that the summit will address other issues which include issues on national policy on cocoa in Nigeria, land availability for our teeming youth for youth participation and climate change
Others include deforestation, infrastructural gaps in terms of water, light and roads.
Assistant Director, Cocoa Value Chain, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Ajayi Olutobaba on his part stated that the summit aim at increasing
Nigeria’s cocoa production, bring back our mills and youth participation in cocoa production, while ensuring job provision and other important activities to boost the cocoa sector.
Olutobaba added that the outcome of the summit is geared towards post-covid action plan in the cocoa sector, adaptable capacity to combat climate change and also sustainable public private partnership in the cocoa sector.