FADU, Kokodola Project Task Farmers On FG’s Cocoa Transformation Agenda

TOWARDS the realisation of the Federal Government’s Cocoa Transformation Agenda aimed at producing good certified cocoa to meet the global growing demand, the Farmers’ Development Union (FADU) has appealed to Cocoa Farmers to cooperate with them, in order to achieve the 1000kg per hectare by year 2015.

Program Coordinator of FADU, Victor Olowe who spoke at the handing over of Chocolate and Premium to Cocoa Farmers at the Warehouse, Toro road, Ile-Ife, Osun State said the overall objective of the project is to create a growing sustainable and
efficient value chain for certified cocoa thereby improving economic, social and environmental conditions of the Nigerian Cocoa farmers in Osun and Ondo States.

“The project came up as a result of poor handling of cocoa production in Nigeria which used to be leading producer of cocoa in the world but now takes the fourth position. Where Cote d’voire produced 1.5 metric tons and Ghana produced 800 metric tons in 2011, Nigeria produced less than 250,000 metric tons. This development informed these organisations to come together so that they can encourage cocoa farmers to produce good quality cocoa.

Olowe noted that a total of 1,788 farmers were mobilised, registered and trained in the first year of the project, adding that it managed to exceed the target figure of 1,500 farmers by 19.2 percent.

He warned the farmers not to take the training for fun because it is meant to assist them to increase their yield and enhance their income. “When your income is enhanced, your social lives will change positively. The project wants to take you from low yield per hectare (i.e. moving from 400 kg per hectare to 1000 kg per hectare) at the end of the project in 2015.”

Earlier, in his welcome address, the Project Manager of the Cocoa Productivity and Quality Program (CPQP), known as Kokodola Project, Fabunmi Mopelola said the gathering was the fulfillment of its promise of premium award, which would be given to the few farmers that believed in the project.

“In November 2012, during our partners’ visit, the first Farmer Mr. Sunday Osunkile that ‘tested’ with just two bags of cocoa through a buyer called Oriowo Samson won Petra Foods’ endorsement of good quality cocoa. Petra Foods’ representative Mirc Donaldson took one of the bags with him and promised to make some chocolate out of it and bring them with him when next he will be visiting Nigeria, here we have another reality again of chocolate presentation,” he stated.