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Nigeria has seen its cocoa output increase by 15 percent despite huge numbers of old and worn-out cocoa trees across major producing states in the country, as farmers commence midcrop harvest soon.
Farmers link the increase in production to early rainfall which has helped in boosting the country’s cocoa pod production in recent months.
“Most of the cocoa pods I have seen across major cocoa producing states so far are bigger and better than that of last year midcrop when most of the pods were shrinking and this is because of the early rainfall,” Sayina Rima, president, Cocoa Association of Nigeria (CAN) said in a telephone response to questions.
“Even though we recorded pest outbreak early this year in some states we are going to have better midcrop harvest in 2018. Our output will increase by 15 percent in the 2017/2018 cocoa midcrop season. Also, we now have more young people coming into cocoa farming than we had in the past. This has also helped to increase our midcrop output.
“This increase in output will only be sustained if farmers get the right agro chemicals to address the challenges that come with heavy rainfall,” Rima said.
He stated that Nigeria recorded 60,000MT output for the 2016/2017 midcrop season.
This means that, 15 percent of 60,000MT is 9,000MT, implying that the 2017/2018 midcrop harvest would be 69,000MT (60,000MT plus 9,000MT).
Nigeria has two cocoa harvests which includes the smaller midcrop from April to June, and the main crop from October to December.
The midcrop normally accounts for about 30 percent of Nigeria’s cocoa output while the main crop accounts for the remaining percentage.
“The cocoa pods are bigger and better now than that of last year because of the early rainfall. This will increase our 2018 midcrop output. Last year, the late rainfall affected our output but this year it has been very different,” Robo Adhuze, chief operating officer, Centre for Cocoa Development Initiative told BusinessDay in a telephone interview.
“Farmers are very happy with the development. Also, the prices are better than that of last year,” Adhuze said.
Nigeria has lost its position in the comity of cocoa producing nations when its production declined from 240,000MT in 2014/2015 season to 190,000MT in 2015/2016 season, pushing the country to seventh position globally.
Farmers across the country’s main producing states are very optimistic that Nigeria’s production will increase at the end of the 2017/2018 season but are worried about the adulteration of agro chemicals in the country.
“I am optimistic that my output this year will be higher. The weather has been favourable, the rains have started early and this is a sign of good harvest. But what we require now is chemicals to handle the issue of pest and diseases which are more common in wet season. This might be a major challenge to us, as most of the agro chemicals in the country are fake and adulterated,” Hakeem Adebisi, a cocoa farmer in Ajebandele in Ondo State.
“Currently, we sell a kilogram of cocoa for N650 at the farm-gate. While a metric ton is sold between N650, 000 to N680,000 depending on your bargaining ability,” Adebisi said.
In the international market, on year-on-year basis, global average price of cocoa has increased by 26 percent from $1961 per metric ton in April 2017 to $2462 per ton in April 2018, according to data from the International Cocoa Organisation (ICO).
Josephine Okojie
