Nigerian cocoa farmers are being urged to focus on enhancing the quality and quantity of their production by leveraging climate-smart agriculture and initiatives. Nene Akwetey-Kodjoe, the chief of party for the TRACE (Traceability and Resilience in Agriculture and Cocoa Ecosystems of Nigeria) project, emphasized this during a recent 3-day monitoring, evaluation, and learning workshop held in Akure, the Ondo State capital.
The TRACE project, implemented by Lutheran World Relief in partnership with Nigeria's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria (CRIN), International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), C-Lever.org, and Ecometrica, is funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food for Progress program. The project spans six cocoa-producing states in Nigeria, namely Abia, Akwa Ibom, Cross Rivers, Ekiti, Ondo, and Osun.
Akwetey-Kodjoe explained that TRACE has two primary objectives: first, to support cocoa farmers in increasing productivity through climate-smart agriculture to combat the impact of climate change in dry seasons and conditions, including interventions in irrigation. Second, the project aims to expand trade in Nigerian cocoa by improving traceability in cocoa supply chains and collaborating with the Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria to enhance market access for Nigerian cocoa.
Ondo State was selected as the location for the workshop due to its status as the largest cocoa-producing state in Nigeria and also home to the TRACE project office. The initiative aims to engage both established industry stakeholders and new farmers through the Cocoa Farmers Association of Nigeria, seeking to benefit the farmers within the supply chain through various interventions.
Onwusogbolu Chinedu from the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development highlighted the government's efforts in providing improved hybrid seedlings, agrochemicals, and farmer training in collaboration with CRIN to enhance cocoa production in Nigeria. Chinedu encouraged farmers to embrace the opportunities and technologies available in cocoa farming, stressing the potential for financial gains.
Patrick Adebola, the executive director of the Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria, Ibadan, urged all levels of government to implement programs that would motivate youths to engage in farming and return to the agricultural sector. He also advocated for the establishment of a regulatory body or agency to oversee activities within the cocoa value chain and ensure the export of high-quality cocoa beans to the international market.
Ranjana Bhattacharjee, a senior scientist at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) Ibadan, highlighted the decline in Nigeria's cocoa production compared to other cocoa-producing countries like Ghana, Cameroon, and Cote D'Ivoire. Despite the decline, cocoa remains a significant contributor to Nigeria's GDP after petroleum.
