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The workshop also called for intervention in the sector in order to reduce poverty, unemployment, and also develop a subsidy mechanism for farmers on input such as agro-chemicals and fertilizer to enhance production to improve food security in Nigeria.
A contributor at the Agricultural Policy Research in Africa (APRA) workshop
PEGASUS REPORTERS, LAGOS | DECEMBER 21, 2021
Agricultural Experts have expressed worries over the decline in cocoa production and commercialization in the country, stating that there is need for stakeholders in the country to support and assist the cocoa farmers towards enhancing adequate participation of men and women in cocoa farming.
The workshop also called for intervention in the sector in order to reduce poverty, unemployment, and also develop a subsidy mechanism for farmers on input such as agro-chemicals and fertilizer to enhance production to improve food security in Nigeria.
They experts made this known while speaking during Agricultural Policy Research in Nigeria, Dissemination Event titled “Cocoa Commercialisation, issues and prospects” organised by the Agricultural Policy Research in Africa (APRA) and the University of Ibadan Research Team, held in Osogbo the state capital of Osun state.
Dr Adeola Olajide who is the principal coordinator for Agricultural Policy Research in Nigeria observed that the research in cocoa production and commercialisation by the Team showed that cocoa production has dropped in South West, noting that urgent attention is needed to invests in cocoa production and commercialisation to generate agriculture driven economic through modernisation, productivity and value chains.
Participants at the Agricultural Policy Research in Africa (APRA) and the University of Ibadan Research Team, held in Osogbo the state capital of Osun state.
In his paper presentation, Dr Kehinde Thomas from the Department of Agric-Economic also observed that the challenges confronting cocoa production today are the discovering of solid minerals in the country, lack of modern technology, extinction of land for cocoa cultivation, adulterated herbicide, impatience of cocoa farmers which had reduced the cocoa production and commercialisation in the local and the international markets. He noted that the private sector and youth must participate in cocoa production and commercialisation for optimal capacity for increase in cocoa production and commercialisation to boost the nation’s Gross Domestic product GDP.
Earlier, the Regional Coordinator for West Africa, Joseph Yaro of Agricultural Policy Research in Africa (APRA) who spoke through a virtual said that APRA will support cocoa farmers in ensuring that commercialisation of cocoa contributes to rural transformation and rural infrastructure development policy to support input market development to curb rura-urban migration in West Africa.
By Correspondent Abu Mustafa reported from Ibadan
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