Nigerian Government to Prioritize Cocoa, Plantain Value Chains
The Federal Government has disclosed plans to prioritize cocoa and plantain value chains to boost food production.
Specifically, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr Mohammad Abubakar, stated this when he received a delegation of the Cocoa and Plantain Farmers Association of Nigeria (CPFAN), led by its National President, Chief Ayodele Ojo, in his Abuja office.
Speaking, the minister said cocoa and plantain occupy a strategic position in the agriculture sector to galvanize the nation’s economy, noting that the crops contribute significantly to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), hence should not be toyed with.
His words: “The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD) is ready to support the Cocoa and Plantain Farmers Association of Nigeria (CPFAN) to boost the Gross Domestic Products (GDP) of the economy in the area of employment creation, food sufficiency, increase earnings for smallholder farmers as well as income generation.”
“The Cocoa sub-sector contributes to the GDP of Nigeria and should not be toyed with, and as such must be fully harnessed to ensure that the agricultural base is established. “
“The agro-industry is experiencing revitalization with dedicated Federal Government policies towards encouraging smallholder farmers and investors as well as to grow the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).”
On his part, the National President of CPFAN lauded the ministry for empowering grassroot farmers and for overseeing the development of the agricultural sector.
Ojo noted that Nigeria being heavily endowed with land and human resources should look inward on how to harness and optimally utilize its enormous resources to create massive jobs and wealth for Nigerians.
However, the CPFAN President lamented that the country’s food production is still low compared to its huge agricultural resources, urging the nation to go back to the good old days of cocoa and plantain sub-sectors.
He said, “The two commodities were major contributors to the Nigerian economy before the discovery of oil in the early 1960s. Great feats were achieved under the leadership of Chief Obafemi Awolowo as the Premier of the Western Region.”
Some of the achievements were the construction of 26 Storey Cocoa House in Ibadan, Liberty Stadium, among others.
Ojo, therefore, called on farmers and other stakeholders along the cocoa and plantain value chains to collaborate and complement each other to boost productivity and profitability.
Agro Nigeria
