Why Nigeria is losing cocoa power in global market – Agric minister

As farmers meet to avert ban by EU   The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr Mohammad Abubakar, has attributed Nigeria’s loss of cocoa power in the global market to lack of improved seedlings which has led to low quality production. This is even as stakeholders in cocoa production met last week to discuss […]

• As farmers meet to avert ban by EU

 

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr Mohammad Abubakar, has attributed Nigeria’s loss of cocoa power in the global market to lack of improved seedlings which has led to low quality production.

This is even as stakeholders in cocoa production met last week to discuss issues hindering its production in the country at a forum tagged: “Nigerian Cocoa Summit and Awards”, in Abuja.

Dr Abubakar who was represented at the event by the Director, Federal Department of Agriculture, Dr Karima Babangida, said forum was aimed at increasing cocoa production from the present 250,000 metric tons to 714,000 metric tons, as well as addressing issues related to the quality of the country’s cocoa in relation to the use of chemicals by the growers.

Notable among what was discussed is the imminent rejection of Nigerian cocoa by the European Union (EU), beginning from 2022. Participants, including experts, used the occasion to discuss what needs to be done, as well as the problems hindering production in the country.

Our Agric Editor reports that the EU had warned that from next year it might start rejecting the country’s cocoa due to continuous use of chemicals more than the original level by the farmers, as well as the exporters.

The Cocoa Farmers Association of Nigeria (CFAN) recently revealed that the EU had threatened to reject cocoa produced in Nigeria from 2022 due to a fall in the commodity’s quality.

In his take on the imminent ban on the country’s cocoa by the EU, the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, at the summit, advised that good agronomic practices by farmers would address such planned rejection by the EU.

Represented by the Gap Lead, Dr Eze Kingsley Uzoma, the vice president urged the farmers to institute a mechanism and extend good agronomic practices and knowledge to ensure that cocoa produced in Nigeria met international standard.

He warned that the residual effects of indiscriminate application of chemicals would reduce the quality of the seeds and depreciate earnings in the sector. 

Mr George Akinfenwa, a retired agriculturist, said Nigerian farmers should be enlightened more by the relevant government agencies on the appropriate use of chemicals either on the farm or during preservation.

He reminded the farmers that the same EU had, for some years now, banned Nigerian beans for the same reason.

The President of CFAN, Mr Adeola Adegoke, expressed concern that cocoa, which contributed the highest foreign exchange earnings in the 1950s to 1960s, had reduced its earnings due to myriad of challenges confronting the sub-sector.

He said the advent of climate change had added another factor that was negatively affecting the production of cocoa.

While explaining that Nigeria was adjudged to be the second largest producer of cocoa in the past, he said the country currently produced about 250,000 metric tons.

Karima Babangida, the representative of the agriculture minister, said, the new National Cocoa Plan as proposed would be sent to the Federal Executive Council (FEC) by the ministry and the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment.

The minister stated that the National Cocoa Plan (2021 to 2030) was aimed at promoting a sustainable cocoa economy, resurgence in production and industrialisation to trigger a robust domestic consumption, prosperity and youth engagement thereby leading to increased foreign exchange earnings from export of consistently superior quality beans and products.

He said the federal government would be willing to support any state that was pushful in its quest to diversify the economy, especially in the area of increase in cocoa productivity to ensure that Nigeria regained its position as one of the highest cocoa producing countries in the world.

The Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Otunba Niyi Adebayo, said Nigeria had the potential of becoming the leading trade hub of Africa leveraging on the Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA), but tha the country was yet to fully harness these potentials for economic growth and development.

According to him, the Ministry of Trade and Investment has the mandate to enhance competitiveness and provide the enabling environment that would boost Nigeria’s agriculture commodities sector.

He appealed to private sector groups to support growth of agriculture knowing that the federal government was committed to developing policies geared towards development of the cocoa sector.