The Federal Government has formed a National Cocoa Management Committee (NCMC) to boost cocoa productivity and generate more revenue for farmers and the government.
The move, the government said, is aimed at increasing the share benefits received by cocoa farmers as it is done in Cote d’Ivoire and Ghana.
Agriculture and Rural Development Minister, Dr. Mohammed Abubakar, said this while inaugurating the committee yesterday in Abuja.
The minister said the move became pertinent, following the recent visit by the ministry’s officials to Ghana to study the implementation of Living Income Differential (LID).
He said: “…The essence of this committee is to develop strategies to solve these challenges to move the cocoa industry forward.
“To work out the modalities for Nigerian cocoa farmers to start benefiting from this initiative, like their counterparts in Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire, this committee is being set up.
“The NCMC shall organize and conduct a national conference for Commissioners of Agriculture from the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to sensitize them on the importance of LID and efforts of the Federal Government towards ensuring that our smallholder cocoa farmers also enjoy the benefit, like Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire.
“The NCMC shall develop local, state, and Federal Government strategic implementation plans of the National Cocoa Management Committee. The NCMC shall develop a Nigerian charter for joining the Ghana/Cote d’Ivoire initiative.
“The NCMC shall establish a data bank for all multinational companies and exporters of cocoa beans from Nigerian ports.”
