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| Dr. Akinwumi Adesina |
The Federal government yesterday announced plans to revolutionise cocoa production as part of its effort to restore Nigeria’s lost glory in the production of the cash crop.
The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr Akinwunmi Adeshina, made this known at Warewa in Ogun during the inauguration of Frangada Natural Cocoa Powder, produced by the Multi-Trex Integrated Foods Plc.
Adeshina said that the federal government intended to double annual cocoa production from 250,000 metric tonnes to 500,000 tonnes by year 2015.
He said that a Cocoa Transformation Team led by Dr. Peter Aikpokodion, had been put in place to facilitate the realisation of the objective.
The minister said the development had become necessary to restore Nigeria’s pride of place in global cocoa production.
Meanwhile, Adesina, who recalled that Nigeria was the second largest producer of cocoa globally, expressed regrets that the country had dropped to a distant fourth.
“In addition, we have become a dumping ground for imported food. Nigeria today, spends N1.2 trillion in importing wheat, rice, sugar and fish. “As we import, we spend our foreign exchange, making farmers of other countries richer,” he said.
Furthermore, the minister explained that the programme was aimed at supporting the vulnerable cocoa farmers to access critical yield enhancing inputs.
Adesina said there were plans by federal government to partner with the private sector to rehabilitate 200,000 hectares of land in the next four years for cocoa production.
“The ministry has already sent an initial team of experts to Indonesia to study the country’s impressive cocoa plantation strategy.
Source: DailyTrust
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