Agric Minister discloses cocoa production to hit 500,000 tonnes by 2024

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr Mohammad Abubakar, Tuesday, disclosed Nigeria’s cocoa production to hit 500,000 metric tonnes annually in 2024.

Abubakar made the projection known during a courtesy visit led by the Executive Director, International Cocoa Organization, ICCO, Arrion Michel, at his office in Abuja.

He made the projection based on the frantic effort cocoa farmers, stakeholders and government are making to galvanize the cocoa industry with the aim of occupying the top three positions currently having Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana and Ecuador respectively.

The Minister said all is being done with all hands on deck to push the current cocoa production of 340,000 tonnes to 500,000 tonnes by 2024.

However, the Minister reiterated importance of traceability and transparency in the cocoa industry including the National Cocoa Farm Irrigation, improvement of the cocoa sector through research, input delivery, production, value addition, processing and export.

Meanwhile, the Minister said there are moves to back up the NCMC with legislation by the National Assembly.

He also assured that the Ministry would implement the LID system in Nigeria as the country strives to take cocoa production to a new height.

According to Michel, Africa produces about 80 per cent of cocoa globally, but the price is determined in Europe, which he pointed that there is need to address the issues of market forces in cocoa trading.

“Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana and Ecuador are the major producers of cocoa while Nigeria is the fourth producer of the commodity.

“The product is key to smallholder farmers in many countries”, he said.