Vice President Yemi Osinbajo is optimistic that good agronomic practices by farmers will address the pending rejection of Nigerian cocoa by the European Union beginning from 2022, due to continuous use of chemicals more than the original level.
He made assertion at the Nigerian Cocoa Summit and Awards in Abuja.
It would be recalled that the Cocoa Farmers Association of Nigeria, CFAN, recently alleged that the EU had threatened to reject cocoa produced in Nigeria from 2022 due to a fall in the commodity’s quality.
The Vice President, who was represented by the Gap Lead Eze Kingsley Uzoma, urged the farmers to institute a mechanism and extend good agronomic practices and knowledge to ensure that cocoa produce from Nigeria meet international standard.
National President of Cocoa Farmers Association Adeola Adegoke expressed worry 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.
In his remark, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Mohammad Abubakar, attributed the country’s loss of cocoa power in the global market and competitiveness to lack of improved seedlings, pest infestation, pesticide contamination leading to a low quality of cocoa beans among others. He added that the ministry was collaboration with all relevant stakeholders towards increasing cocoa production from the present 250,000 metric tons to 714,000 metric tons.
