Researcher laments poor investment in agric … Says cocoa is a magic crop

Presenting a paper at the recent 2013 National Agricultural Show in Nasarawa State, Prof. Malachy Akoroda, who is the Executive Director of the institute, noted that government at various levels and local and foreign investors are not keen in contributing their quota to boost agricultural production and processing in the country because the sector is […]

Presenting a paper at the recent 2013 National Agricultural Show in Nasarawa State, Prof. Malachy Akoroda, who is the Executive Director of the institute, noted that government at various levels and local and foreign investors are not keen in contributing their quota to boost agricultural production and processing in the country because the sector is said to be unattractive.
Speaking further at the show which was organized by the National Agricultural Foundation of Nigeria, NAFN, in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, he pointed out that only “1.7% Foreign Direct Investment went into the agricultural sector between 1970 – 2001”, and that local investment in the sector within the same period and of recent was very low.
The professor warned against “famine in the future if heavy and persistent investment is not done in agriculture” by all stakeholders.
He said Nigeria is blessed with abundant agricultural resources including flat land compared to other countries of the world such as the Philippines where the terrain is very rough and the farmers engaged in hard labour to get results.
He further said, “Nigerians eat 72 out 35,000 plant species and such crops with food and nutritional values should be supported.”
Meanwhile, Prof. Akoroda has described cocoa as a magic crop that can grow in most parts of the country.
He said he didn’t  know cocoa was a magic crop untill he discovered more about the crop. He said the Cocoa Institute of Nigeria has developed new varieties that can produce within one and a half years.
“Every state in the middle of Nigeria can grow cocoa; every state in southern Nigeria can grow cocoa; and every state in northern Nigeria can process cocoa. When cocoa is grown and processed in every part of the country, huge opportunity for export will resuscitate the dying cocoa industry in Nigeria,”  Okoroda said.
He lamented that of the 4.2 million tons of cocoa produced in the world, Nigeria produces only 10 percent despite its potentials to be leader in cocoa production in Africa.