The minister, who said this yesterday in Abuja while receiving the report of the committee on Cocoa Production Association of Nigeria, COPAN, noted that if given the right atmosphere and necessary ingredients, cocoa exportation would generate more income to the country’s economy.
On 17th of August, 2010, President Goodluck Jonathan instituted a committee on cocoa production, headed by the recently sacked Deputy Governor of Osun State, Erelu Olusola Obada, on how to improve cocoa production in the country.
Abdulla promised to study the report and forward it to the President for more action capable of increasing both the production and importation of the product.
“Our commitment to cocoa development in this ministry is far beyond pretence," he said. "We have come a long way and we will still continue to move forward for more of cocoa exportation. We are fully committed to this laudable goal and we will still try harder to achieve more by the grace of God.”
Dr. Chris Okafor, who stood in for Erelu Obada, while explaining parts of the committee’s findings to the minister and his lieutanants, attributed part of the challenges facing the production of cocoa in the country to lack of adequate finance and supply of products needed for the production. ..
In his words: “In all, I can say categorically that cocoa production and exportation are some of the avenues for the country's income. In our findings, we have come to terms with the fact that there are two main challenges facing the production of cocoa in the country. One of them is lack of credit facility. Cocoa farmers don’t always have access to bank loans for improvement of their product and this has been one of the major problems facing the production of cocoa. Another one is supply of necessary products needed for the production of cocoa. Some of the farmers complained that since this year, they had not got fertilizer. All they have been doing is to produce without fertilizer, and this is a major setback for them and for the country also.”
He disclosed that investment on cocoa production in Nigeria is N45 billion and that more efforts should be made to increase the production.
The Secretary of the committee, who is also the Managing Director of Cocoa Products (Ile-Oluji) Limited, Mr. Akin Olusuyi promised the committee’s readiness to assist the ministry whenever called upon to ensure that there is great increase in the production of cocoa in the country.
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