Stakeholders Want Revival Of Cocoa

Participants at the Interna
tional Cocoa Conference held recently in Calabar,  have agreed that if properly developed, cocoa has the capacity to bolster Nigeria’s economy or even displace petroleum as the nation’s chief foreign exchange earners.
The conference which was organised by the Cocoa Association of Nigeria (CAN) in collaboration with world cocoa producers organisation has the theme: “Capacity Building on Risk Management for Cocoa Small Holder Farmers” was kick started without the Governor of Cross River State declaring the conference open.
In a statement obtained by our correspondent, president of CAN, Sayina Riman explained that the conference was convened to help critical stakeholders in the industry discuss price Risk Management Project which had over the years critically impacted against small holder farmers in the country and other developing economies globally.
In his keynote address, the Executive Director of Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria (CRIN), Prof Malachy Akoroda, said that cocoa had great economic potential for the country given the high demand for it around the world.
He described cocoa as the number one non-oil export earner for Nigeria even when the commodity was not enjoying state support, push and encouragement for local farmers, adding that there was enormous demand for cocoa by products in Western and Eastern countries but capacity to meet demand was limited.
Akoroda pointed out that the quality of cocoa produced in Nigeria was about the best globally because of the high breed species that are now made available to farmers.
He said it had become possible for farmers these days to plant, nurture and have a high yield species produced in six months.
The CRIN boss added that even within 18 months. There could be unimaginable and bountiful harvest against what was obtainable with the old species.
Corroborating the position of the CAN president on economic value of cocoa to the nation’s economy, Riman said cocoa business could change the economic fortunes of Nigeria, adding that it was more sustainable than oil because there is the possibility that oil can dry up some day but cocoa will not.
With the intensive cocoa activities,  he was happy that much younger people are getting involved in the cocoa trade in cross River thereby ensuring future growth.
The Executive Director of International Cocoa Organisation, London, Dr Jean-Marc Anga, however said that “cocoa farmers’” organisations and exporters are constantly exposed to potential financial losses as the cocoa prices move against them.