The Cocoa Farmers Association of Nigeria (CFAN), in its quest to increase Nigerian cocoa production and quality assurance of the cocoa bean through premium cocoa production, has flagged off free distribution of the Cocoa GAP Handbook to the Edo State smallholder cocoa farmers.
The National President of CFAN, Comrade Adeola Adegoke, while speaking at the flagging off, disclosed that the advocacy of the association via the free distribution of the handbook can be tagged as the production of premium cocoa as a catalyst to market Nigerian cocoa in the international market.
The handbook was developed to guide smallholder cocoa farmers to adopt the latest knowledge and to enable them to adopt good agricultural practices that will contribute immensely to increased yields for cocoa farmers in Nigeria.
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Adegoke noted that free distribution across the entire cocoa producing states, including Edo State, will mark Nigeria’s path to attaining 500,000 metric tons targets and sustainable practices in the cocoa supply chain in the year 2024 and becoming the highest cocoa producer by 2027,
The CFAN President hinted that the association is currently collaborating with Harvestfield Industries Limited, Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria (CRIN), Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment and other stakeholders on how to increase cocoa and forestry practices in order to improve transparency across the cocoa supply chain.
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According to him, the association partnered with the Federal Government through the FMARD, FMITI, and the National Assembly on the need for Nigeria to join Cote d’voire and Ghana in the collection of $400 Living Income Differential (LID).
“We are happy to inform our smallholder cocoa farmers that we are moving forward on the issue of the LID being championed by CFAN in Nigeria, especially considering the FMARD, CRIN, and CFAN team’s recent visit to Accra, Ghana with Cote d’voire,” he said.
