Cocoa farmers seek new board not involved in buying and selling
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
Cocoa Farmers Association of Nigeria (CFAN) has reiterated its call for a regulatory board not involved in buying and selling cocoa beans but solely for promotion and development across the cocoa supply chain.
CFAN National President Adeola Adegoke said this is imperative because of the challenges facing the sector and the need to avoid the European Union (EU) ban of unsustainable cocoa beans in 2025.
“It has become imperative to reiterate and clarify our position regarding our demand for a regulatory board from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to reposition the cocoa industry for growth, which some have erroneously assumed is an attempt by cocoa farmers to demand for a marketing board,” Adegoke explained.
“Cocoa farmers cannot forget in a hurry the pain suffered due to the price stabilisation policy of the dissolved Cocoa Board before 1986 that enslaved our smallholder cocoa farmers completely.
“CFAN had said it thousands of times that the dissolution of the Cocoa Board was like throwing away the baby with the birth water due to the setbacks the industry suffered thereafter.”
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Negative paradigm shift
In Adegoke’s view, there is no doubt Nigeria has witnessed a negative paradigm shift in all areas of the cocoa industry, especially in production, productivity, quality, livelihood, deforestation, GAP, extension, policy and plan, Research & Development, ecosystem and child labour, among others,” per The Guardian.
He said this has reinforced the position of cocoa farmers that the price stabilisation policy of the dissolved Cocoa Board led to its downfall, but not the overall promotion and development mandate of the board that led to giant production, productivity, and good quality cocoa beans with the best aroma in the 1960’s and early 1970’s in West Africa.
“CFAN is making her position clear to Mr. President and the new Minister of Agriculture that what cocoa farmers are demanding is a regulatory board that is not involved in the buying and selling of our cocoa beans.
“It should be solely for the promotion and development of the cocoa industry across the supply chain in a sustainable path, in view of the prevailing challenges facing the sector and the preparation towards evading the EU ban of unsustainable cocoa beans in the year 2025.”