Cocoa Farmers Association of Nigeria has said that the European union has threatened to reject cocoa from Nigeria from next year because the commodity’s quality has fallen.
The leader of the association, Adeola Adegoke, told journalists at a question and answer session in Abuja on Tuesday that cocoa farmers were presently troubled over the up-and-coming rejection of the item by the European Union starting from 2022.
Adegoke, who unveiled this in the planning of the 2021 CFAN Summit, noted that the EU policy on excess synthetics on Nigeria’s cocoa was what could result in the rejection of the commodity processed in Nigeria.
“Our buyers are complaining on quality. They are now threatening Nigeria that they are going to reject our cocoa and that is a very serious issue that would be addressed at the summit.
“We are also looking at the EU policy which says as long as we continue to use chemicals more than the original level, it will be rejected 2022. Are we going to wait till 2022, like we did during the beans ban? We don’t need to wait for this. So the summit will address these issues,” he said.
Adegoke likewise expressed that the creation level of 250,000 metric tons of cocoa, which the nation by and by produces, was appallingly low contrasted with different nations.
He said, “This is very important in our drive. Presently it is unacceptable to us as stakeholders for Nigeria to have the land, resources and manpower be producing 250,000MT, where Ivory Coast that does not enjoy the land that we have produces about 2.5 million to 2.8 million MT. Even Ghana produces 1.5 million MT.”
He further clarified that the positioning of Nigeria as the second-biggest maker of cocoa on the planet had dropped, while other African nations were delivering in million times.
“Our average productivity per hectare is rated to be about 300 to 350kg, where in Ghana and Ivory Coast, have average production per hectare of 800 to1000kg.”he said.
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