Nigeria's cocoa production increases

Nigeria’s production of cocoa has increased from 170,000 tonnes in 1999 to 400,000 tonnes in 2007. The increase in output can be attributed to the setting up of the National Cocoa Development Committee (NCDC), made up of the 14 cocoa producing states in the country, which have been distributing new high yield cocoa seedlings to cocoa farmers, along with the purchase of chemicals and inputs at 50% subsidy.

At a just concluded Cocoa Day celebration in Osun State, Erelu Olusola Obada, deputy governor of the state and chairman of the cocoa rebirth committee of the NCDC, said the efforts of the NCDC brought about renewed interest in the production of cocoa. "We are now looking at 60,000 tonnes in the next year or two. Ivory Coast today is doing about 1.3 million tonnes while Ghana is producing 800 to 900 tonnes.” Africa produces 70% of the world's cocoa beans.

Africa, however, lags in processing and value addition of cocoa, accounting for only 15% of the world's cocoa grinding, with Europe leading at 41%. In Africa, Ivory Coast leads in terms of grinding with 71%, followed by Ghana at 17% and Nigeria at 5%.

Vanguard