No official indication to Nigeria cocoa rejection by EU

·       CRIN, FMITI task farmers

There is no official letter that can be attributed to the threat order on Nigerian cocoa produce being said to be sanctioned for rejection in the European markets against next year, Food Farm News findings revealed.

This finding is coming on the heels of recent notification of European Union (EU) to stop taking the nation’s raw cocoa beans in their market for reason of substandard production of the produce.

The National President of Cocoa Farmers Association of Nigeria (CFAN) Mr. Adeola Adegoke in a press briefing held in Abuja had hinted few journalists about the new development, and this has since been generating reactions even as the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo had advised farmers on the need to ensure best agronomics practices to avert this threat from coming to pass.

Our check on Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment (FMITI) and Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD) could not get a clear picture of whether such notice has been officially issued from the EU to Nigerian government for one to ascertain the substance in the released information.

Many other stakeholders especially the Umbrella body of the cocoa productivity, the Cocoa Association of Nigeria (CAN) leadership have distanced themselves from such pronouncement saying they did not know where such information may have emanated.

Mr. Mufutau Abolarinwa, the CAN President in a chat with Food Farm News said his association may not want to affiliate with such threat order from EU since there has not been any official letter to confirm such allegation, adding he had even asked for the source of the information from the originator.

Speaking with Food Farm News on the development, the Executive Director (ED) Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria (CRIN) Dr. Patrick Adebola has said that any sanction can only be averted through best agronomics practices on the part of the cocoa farmers, thereby advised on strict adherence to standard production with the use of right chemicals and drying methods.

Dr. Adebola said that CRIN being the research institute that has the mandate to ensure and ascertain any scientific agro products related to best agricultural practices in cocoa productions from seedlings to application of chemicals wants National Agency for Food & Drugs Administration& Control (NAFDAC) to ensure clearance of any chemicals and pesticides by his Institute before such product is given certification to be used by farmers.

The CRIN boss position is following the same taken by the Vice President Yemi Oshibajo who had through one of his aids Eze Kindsley Uzoma urged farmers to ensure best agronomics practices in order to avert Nigerian cocoa beans from being rejected by 2022 in European markets.

Adebola stated that ‘’ Farmers must take the issue of quality very serious in cocoa. They have to be sensitised and they must get involved. Good agricultural practices by cocoa farmers are essential to get high quality cocoa beans. Farmers must stop the use of unregistered and unapproved pesticides in cocoa farms. Irrational use of registered pesticide must be discouraged. NAFDAC should partner with CRIN and ensure there is certification from the Institute before agrochemicals on cocoa are registered’’

Also a Deputy Director (DD) Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment (FMITI)   on cocoa export Mr. S.O G Twageringha has tasked stakeholders to check themselves against sharp practices especially when it comes to adding other substances into cocoa bag as many players are found of mixing palm kernel into cocoa bag to just dubiously add weight for economic gains.

Twageringha urged farmers, local buying agents, merchants and cooperatives to be transparent in their dealings along these value chains so as to ensure standard as unwanted particles are not mixed up with cocoa produce just as he suggested the need for extensions workers that would ensure best agronomics practices by farmers especially in the application of recommended chemicals and pesticides to be sprayed on cocoa pods.

He suggested that stakeholders should fish out the cartels in their mist who are out to cause sabotage in the process, saying the right jute bag to package the produce must not be compromised with old ones in the name of saving cost. He that the 10 year national cocoa plans put together by the FMITI, FMARD, CAN and ICO had made provision to enhance cocoa economic sustainability.