Why cocoa farmers are demanding for regulatory board

Cocoa Farmers Association of Nigeria (CFAN) has reiterated its call for a regulatory board that is not involved in the buying and selling of cocoa beans, but solely for promotion and development of cocoa industry across the supply chain in a sustainable path.

CFAN National President, Comrade Adeola Adegoke, who disclosed this to The Guardian, said this has become imperative in view of the prevailing challenges facing the sector and the concerted geared at evading the European Union ban of unsustainable cocoa beans in 2025.

“It has become imperative to reiterate and clarify our position regarding our demand for a regulatory board from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to reposition the cocoa industry for growth, which some have erroneously assumed is an attempt by cocoa farmers to demand for a Marketing Board.

“Cocoa farmers cannot forget in hurry the pain suffered due to the price stabilisation policy of the dissolved cocoa board before 1986 that enslaved our smallholder cocoa farmers completely. CFAN had said it thousands of times that the dissolution of the Cocoa Board was like throwing away the baby with the dirty water due to the setbacks the industry suffered thereafter,” he said.

Adegoke said there is no doubt that Nigeria has witnessed a negative paradigm shift in all spheres of the industry after the dissolution, especially in the production, productivity, quality, livelihood, deforestation, GAP, extension, policy and plan, Research & Development, ecosystem and child labour, among others.

He said this has, therefore, reinforced cocoa farmers position that the price stabilisation policy of the dissolved Cocoa Board led to her downfall, but not the overall promotion and development mandate of the board that gave rise to their giant production, productivity and good quality of cocoa beans with the best aroma in the 1960’s and early 1970’s in West Africa.

“CFAN is making her position clear to Mr. President and the new Minister of Agriculture that what cocoa farmers are demanding for is a regulatory board that is not involved in the buying and selling of our cocoa beans, but solely for the promotion and development of the cocoa industry across the supply chain in a sustainable path, in view of the prevailing challenges facing the sector and the preparation towards evading the EU ban of unsustainable cocoa beans in the year 2025.”