The Cocoa Association of Nigeria (CAN) on Monday appealed to the Federal Government to provide essential inputs to improve local production of the crop.
Mr Lasun Adesokan, the National Vice President of the association, Oyo-Osun zone, made the appeal in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.
He said that government should empower the farmers with inputs like fertilisers, fermentation boxes and easy access to loan.
Fermentation box is a new fabrication equipment designed for cocoa farmers to ferment cocoa beans before sun-drying it.
A well fermented cocoa bean produces nice aroma, which is one of the quality required in the international cocoa market.
Adesokan also identified inadequate equipment as one of the major problem facing cocoa processing.
“Government can help farmers by giving them agricultural inputs and finance to maintain their farms.
“Maintenance of cocoa farms is very imperative.
“It takes about three to four years for cocoa trees to start yielding well, which needs essential maintenance,” Adesokan said.
The vice-president also appealed to the government to provide fermentation boxes to cocoa farmers.
He said that the local method of fermenting cocoa, where farmers use plantain leaves to ferment the cocoa beans before sun drying it, was crude and laborious.
“If the government can provide fermentation boxes, it will reduce the farmers’ stress of processing and improve the quality of cocoa beans produced in the country,” he said. (NAN)
