Why More Youth Will Key Into Cocoa Production

Nigeria’s cocoa farmers are racing to plant more high-yielding seedlings to replace old trees while expanding their growing areas after a six-fold jump in prices this year. This, according to the Cocoa Farmers Association of Nigeria, will help boost the country’s cocoa output in three years when they start fruiting. Production may climb by 500,000 to 800,000 metric tons by 2026, Adeola Adegoke, national president of the Cocoa Farmers Association of Nigeria, said in an interview Wednesday. That would suggest a 132 percent rise from Nigeria’s 2022-2023 production estimates by the International Cocoa Association (ICCO). “There are lots of investments going in the sector as we speak by farmers because of the record prices,” Adegoke said. “Cocoa farmers are planting more seedlings and taking care of their old plantations so they can have better yields. Even those not growing cocoa have become emergency cocoa farmers,” he explained. Currently, a metric ton of the commodity sells for an average of N11.2 million at the Matori warehouse in Oshodi, Lagos. That’s a six-fold jump compared to the N1.8 million a metric ton of cocoa beans sold for in January 2024. Nigerian cocoa growers are making more money than their counterparts in Ghana and Ivory Coast thanks to a steep naira devaluation that has resulted in a sharp increase in the naira income from the export of the beans. The international price of cocoa beans has almost tripled since the start of the year owing to bad weather that battered harvest in top West African growers – Ivory Coast and Ghana, causing a shortfall and cutting 50 percent of global supply. Tempting though it may be to bank the windfall cash, farmers in Africa’s most populous country see an opportunity to invest to produce more. Many are now buying high-yielding seedlings, expanding their growing areas and planting more cocoa instead of less profitable crops. “With the current price of cocoa, many of us are geared towards engaging in producing more cocoa instead of growing less profitable crops,” Musa Sanda, a cocoa farmer in Kurmi Local Government Area in Taraba, told BusinessDay. “I just placed an order for 1,000 seedlings to replace my coffee trees as coffee does not bring the kind of money cocoa is giving me now,” Sanda said. Lawrence Afere, founder and CEO of Springboard Farmers’ Co-operative of Nigeria, said the price rally is not just driving more investments from farmers but also attracting new entrants of farmers into the sector. “We have a cocoa nursery where we raise seedlings and saplings and lots of farmers not only from Ondo but as far as Abia are coming to buy,” Afere said.

Posted on: 2024-05-09

WORLD COCOA CONFERENCE 2024 @ BRUSSELS

Stakeholders in the cocoa value chain have expressed commitment to address the lingering issues hindering cocoa value chain development in the world. The move according to the cocoa stakeholders is apt, as they called on world economies to adhere strictly to sustainability measures and new regulations. Highlighting the success of the World Cocoa Conference in Brussels, Belgium, held from April, 21st – 24th, the National President of the Cocoa Farmers Association of Nigeria (CFAN), Comrade Adeola Adegoke, said the event reinforced the commitment of stakeholders towards combating practices detrimental to the long-term sustainability of the cocoa industry. According to him, the key among the discussions was the implementation of the European Union’s Directive on Deforestation and Forest Degradation (EUDR), which signals a collective willingness to embrace change. He said there are big questions that need answers, which include who pays for making sure cocoa farming follows new rules without putting too much burden on farmers and whether other countries are ready to join in making cocoa farming more sustainable, not just the big ones like Ivory Coast and Ghana, the procedure for the calculation of sustainable pricing or fair pricing that takes into consideration the cost of production and the profit margin without leaving the market model at demand and supply mechanism which has always short-changed the producers in past years? “What happens to the encroached conserved areas with large cocoa plantations after 2020 which contribute almost 30% of the global cocoa supply if not more? How do cocoa origin countries strengthen the implementation of carbon credit in order for the producers to be encouraged in compliance?” He asked. He further drew attention to the preparedness of cocoa-producing nations beyond Ivory Coast and Ghana, which have traditionally received substantial investments in sustainability programmes. Commending the European countries, Adegoke said they have demonstrated their uncommon passion for the consumption of chocolate at every corner of their daily activities. He urged West African countries, saying, “West African cocoa origin countries must start to chocolatize the toques of our children in order to change the culture of low cocoa consumption that transcends from one generation to another.” “Our power must not only lie on production but more energy must be put into consumption in order to raise the livelihoods of our producers for the sustainability of the cocoa economy of our region. Adegoke also called for a model of cooperation between forestry and agriculture departments within cocoa-origin countries to effectively implement the EUDR policy while addressing deforestation concerns.

Posted on: 2024-05-09

CHILD LABOUR ERADICATION WITH LWR

Cocoa Farmers Association of Nigeria and Lutheran World Relief are partnering through CLEAR PROJECT on how to eradicate child labour in our cocoa communities via educational development of the affected communities. CFAN will continue to work with the various stakeholders on how to completely eradicate child labour in the Nigerian cocoa supply chain.

Posted on: 2024-04-06

WHY NIGERIAN COCOA FARMERS ARE COMFORTABLE NOW

PRESS RELEASE WHY THE NIGERIAN COCOA FARMERS ARE COMFORTABLE WITH THE CURRENT COCOA PRICING SYSTEM DESPITE THE NON - IMPLEMENTATION OF LID. Nigeria Cocoa farmers presently are enjoying our best of the moment due to the skyrocketing prices of cocoa beans at the international markets and especially considering the fact that Nigeria is presently running a deregulated cocoa economy after the abolition of the cocoa board in the year 1986. And presently, we are not envying our counterparts cocoa farmers in Ghana and Ivory Coast due to the system of their cocoa economy which does not give them the opportunity to enjoy the present surge in cocoa prices as a result of the future cocoa contract being executed by their respective cocoa boards. In fact, we were reliably informed that the price the two respective giant cocoa origin countries are paying their cocoa farmers were the prices of cocoa as at April, 2023 that was around $ 2,700 per ton. Let’s forget the new increment in cocoa prices in Ivory Coast and Ghana of recent where it was done at 50% increments at both countries just last week and this week respectively. What Nigeria needs is to firm the control of our cocoa economy in order to increase the production and productivity of our smallholder cocoa farmers’ farms holdings through the provisions of subsidized farm inputs, credit facility, capacity building etc thereby improving their livelihoods. We must start to regulate and promote the Nigerian cocoa economy through the National Cocoa management Committee (NCMC) where more investment into the sector will be guaranteed if the Committee can achieve stable regulatory framework that controls quality , smuggling, pesticides control, extension management, R&D, traceability, FMAFS & State Cocoa Producing Governments synergy, child labor eradication, deforestation control and National Cocoa Plan implementation . The NCMC must not get involved in buying and selling of cocoa beans except cocoa beans stabilization support funding in future when necessary especially when cocoa price nosedived downward beyond cocoa farmers economic capacity as being done in other developed countries on other commodities. The EUDR policy has called for a greater participation of cocoa stakeholders collaboration in order to achieve a national traceability system that guarantees a seamless transparency in our cocoa economy business with sustainability. Nigeria has better opportunities to surpass Ivory Coast and Ghana considering the downward sliding of their cocoa production due to pest and disease, climate change, smuggling, miners activities, land degradation, unfavorable cocoa economy governance (government involvement in buying and selling of cocoa beans), poor remuneration of their smallholder cocoa farmers etc. With the Nigeria youth population in cocoa industry, and the favorable cocoa governance as far as the recent cocoa prices benefit to the Nigerian cocoa farmers are concerned, the future of the Nigerian cocoa sector will further be brightened with the intervention of the full exercise of the regulatory powers of the industry vested in the hands of NCMC dominated by the private stakeholders of the Nigerian cocoa industry. Nigeria is moving towards a sustainable cocoa economy with a renewed hope agenda of the present administration. May Nigeria succeeds! Comrade Adeola Adegoke National President, Cocoa Farmers Association of Nigeria {CFAN}.

Posted on: 2024-04-06

3RD NATIONAL COCOA MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE MEETING @ AKURE

NIGERIAN COCOA #STAKEHOLDERS UNDER NATIONAL COCOA MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE {NCMC} INAUGURATED BY THE FMAFS TO OVERSEE THE #REGULATION OF THE COCOA INDUSTRY IN NIGERIA HAD CONCLUDED HER 3RD MEETING HELD ON THE 7TH OF MARCH, 2024 AT HERITAGE INTERNATIONAL HOTEL, AKURE, #ONDO STATE. TOPICAL ISSUES LIKE THE DOMESTICATION OF EUDR REGULATIONS AND HOW TO BOOST THE NIGERIAN COCOA #PRODUCTION THROUGH THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE NATIONAL COCOA #PLAN WERE THOROUGHLY DELIBERATED UPON. The #National Cocoa Management Committee (NCMC), a committee inaugurated by the #Federal Ministry of #Agriculture and Food Security in 2022, saddled with the responsibility of coordinating and regulating the #cocoa sector in Nigeria recently had its 3rd meeting in Akure, Ondo State on the 7th of March 2024. Among the participants at the meeting were Seven(7) members of the committee namely Dr Patrick Adebola, Executive Director Cocoa #Research Institute of Nigeria(CRIN, Mr Ajayi Olutobaba, Deputy Director #Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security(FMAFS), Mrs Hajara Usman, Deputy Director Federal Ministry of #Industry Trade and Investment(FMITI), Comrade Adeola Adegoke, President,Cocoa Farmers #Association of Nigeria(CFAN), Mr Mufutau Abolarinwa, President Cocoa Association of Nigeria, Prince Matins Awofisayo CEO Harvesfield Limited and Mr. Williams Ifere, Cross River State Cocoa Desk Officer. Also in attendance were Prince Senator (Dr.) Gbolahan Dada FNIM ,who did a Presentation on Technology Driven Cocoa Production and Value Addition in Cocoa Products in Nigeria, Mr Jerry Oche, who had a presentation on #European Union Regulation #Compliance on #Deforestation and way forward, Mr Ayo Akinola whose presentation was on Impending European Union threats to Nigerian Cocoa Bean/Products and way forward and Mr Benjami Eze , Harvestfield Industries Limited whose presentation was on Organic Products for Cocoa. We also had the presence of #ofi representatives and #LWR-TRACE(Chief of Party),Nene Akwerty. The discussions were centred around mitigating the impending #EUDR threats to Cocoa sector in Nigeria and guaranteeing a robust and #transparent cocoa sector through transparency, #traceability, and coordination within the cocoa industry. Furthermore, the need for #National Cocoa Plan to be implemented by the National Cocoa Management Committee (NCMC) was an outcome of the meeting. Also, it was noted that the National Cocoa #Board is essential, and its establishment will further improve cocoa production in Nigeria. Signed. National Cocoa Management Committee Secretariat, FMAFS,Abuja.

Posted on: 2024-03-10

NIGERIA CAN OVERTAKE IVORY COAST & GHANA IN COCO

WHY NIGERIA CAN OVERTAKE IVORY COAST AND GHANA IN COCOA PRODUCTION BEFORE 2026. I am of the opinion that if we smallholder cocoa farmers can partner and be supported by cocoa producing #stategovernments to #irrigate our cocoa #farms all year round in all the #cocoa producing states in Nigeria; honestly Nigeria vision of doubling whatever #premium cocoa beans #ivorycoast and #ghana are jointly producing achievable before 2026. Nigeria is endowed with #land, #youth population, #research resources, good #soil, #varieties, #aroma, #capacity and private sector player’s #resilience! May #nigeria dreams of becoming again the #highest cocoa #producer amongst cocoa #origin #countries possible before #2026. Comrade Adeola Adegoke National President, Cocoa Farmers #Association of Nigeria {CFAN}

Posted on: 2024-03-10

2ND NATIONAL COCOA FESTIVAL LOADING

Nigeria Cocoa stakeholders are currently preparing for the celebrations of the 2nd National Cocoa Festival slated for the 18th and 19th October,2023 at Abuja.

Posted on: 2023-10-12

2ND NATIONAL COCOA FESTIVAL @ ABUJA CONTINENTAL HOTEL

The Cocoa Farmers Association of Nigeria is organizing 2ND NATIONAL COCOA FESTIVAL in collaboration with USDA/LUTHERAN WORLD RELEIF/TRACE and other cocoa value chain actors. This event will majorly addresses the challenges of sustainability and proffer solutions appropriately as far as the cocoa supply chain is concern. Nigeria is looking forward on how to comply with due diligence and traceability in order to reposition the cocoa industry and move the sector forward. The factors like child labor, deforestation, productivity and sustainable production will be firmly tackled at the event. The second leg will also be devoted to the launching of the USDA/LWR/TRACE in Nigeria.

Posted on: 2023-10-04

2ND NATIONAL COCOA FESTIVAL @ ABUJA CONTINENTAL HOTEL

The Cocoa Farmers Association of Nigeria is organizing 2ND NATIONAL COCOA FESTIVAL in collaboration with USDA/LUTHERAN WORLD RELEIF/TRACE and other cocoa value chain actors. This event will majorly addresses the challenges of sustainability and proffer solutions appropriately as far as the cocoa supply chain is concern. Nigeria is looking forward on how to comply with due diligence and traceability in order to reposition the cocoa industry and move the sector forward. The factors like child labor, deforestation, productivity and sustainable production will be firmly tackled at the event. The second leg will also be devoted to the launching of the USDA/LWR/TRACE in Nigeria.

Posted on: 2023-10-04

Cocoa Sustainability Remains CFAN Priority

Nigeria journey to attain full sustainability has been rekindled by the coming 2nd National Cocoa Festival slated for the 18th and 19th October, 2023 at Abuja Continental Hotel,FCT.Abuja. This event will showcases the rich cultural practices and deep commitment of cocoa stakeholders to meet up 2025 EU due diligence action plan. CFAN has taken the preparation to move forward the value chain and incentivize the prosperity of our smallholder cocoa farmers beyond the existing obstacles in the sector with serious collaboration of our value chain players in Nigeria.

Posted on: 2023-09-22