Cocoa farmers in Africa’s biggest economy are demanding for the establishment of a regulatory board that will solely focus on the promotion and development of the industry without involving in the buying and selling of cocoa beans.
According to them, creating a regulatory board that would not be involved in price fixing will ensure that the counts of corruption, personal enrichment and duplicity of functions that led to the abolition of the previous commodity board do not reoccur.
“CFAN is making her position clear to Mr. President and the coming Minister of Agriculture that what cocoa farmers are demanding for is a regulatory board that does not involve in the buying and selling of our cocoa beans, but solely for the promotion and development of the cocoa industry,” said Adeola Adegoke, national president, Cocoa Farmers Association of Nigeria in a statement.
“The regulatory board should focus on the industry development 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 by 2025.”
According to him, it has become imperative to reiterate and clarify farmers’ position regarding the re-introduction of commodity boards by the Tinubu led-government.
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He noted the farmers are not demanding for a marketing board but regulatory boards that can support them reposition the industry for growth.
He stated that the country has witnessed a negative paradigm shift in all spheres of the industry after the dissolution of the then commodity board especially in production, productivity, quality, livelihood, deforestation, global agricultural practices, extension, policy & plan, research and development among others.
However, he explained that the price stabilisation policy of the dissolved cocoa board led to its downfall and its eventual cancellation.
“No doubt, Nigeria has witnessed a negative paradigm shift in all spheres of the #industry after the dissolution especially in production, productivity, quality, and livelihood among others
“The cocoa board that gave rise to our giant production, productivity and good quality of our cocoa beans with the best aroma in the 60’s and early 70’s in West Africa,” he said.
“Cocoa farmers cannot forget in hurry the pain suffered due to the price stabilisation policy of the dissolved cocoa board before 1986 that enslaved our smallholder cocoa farmers completely,” he added.
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