The Osun State Government has revealed plans to set up a domestic expert terminal in the state to ease the export process and access to the international market.
Governor Ademola Adeleke disclosed this while speaking as a guest speaker at the International Cocoa Conference in Lagos State, according to a press release by Olawale Rasheed, the Spokesperson to the Executive Governor.
The governor, represented by the Osun State Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, noted that cocoa-producing states ought to introduce innovation to revive the cocoa sector and increase the productivity of cocoa farmers.
Speaking further, the governor unveiled an agenda, which includes the establishment of a domestic export terminal in Osun, among other things, to revive cocoa production and enhance the revenue base of the state.
- “As a Governor, my agenda includes but is not limited to the following, namely:
- “Assemble stakeholders to design an updated revival plan;
- “Get the cocoa industry in my town running again;
- “Put life back into the cocoa farming sub-sector through demonstration of political will;
- “Get more investors into the value chain through ease of doing business;
- “Set up a domestic export terminal in Osun state to ease the export process and access to the international market;
- “Partner with the railway corporation for ease of transport;
- “Upgrade local infrastructures for the farming community;
- “Set up a modified commodity board to strengthen stakeholders’ finance;
- “Develop partnerships with financial institutions to support the cocoa farming community;
- “Develop a relationship with the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) for agric tech and innovations; and
- “An invitation to the Cocoa Research Institute for partnership and collaboration engagement,” Adeleke stated.
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Gov. Adeleke further revealed that his administration will implement the cocoa agenda by opening up new cocoa estates with young farmers, establishing cocoa nurseries across the local governments, rehabilitation of old cocoa plantations, and resuscitation of the state-owned cocoa-processing industry at Ede.
Also, the Osun State Government said it will introduce a deliberate programme to protect cocoa farms from destructive activities of miners and mining activities and adopt the cocoa revival plan as part of the state’s climate agenda.
The statement also added that there is an ongoing plan to establish cottage cocoa factories across Osun State under an industry cluster agenda to increase cocoa processing and development of the value chain industry.
Gov. Adeleke also called on the Federal Government to offer direct federal interventions to revive cocoa production nationwide.
- “Declare an emergency in the cocoa sector by offering direct federal interventions in term financing for cocoa producing states; support creation of state marketing boards to fast track the re-development of the cocoa sector at the state level; and empower the Ministry of Agriculture to support cocoa producing states through a World Bank project focusing on cocoa revival across the cocoa producing states,” Adeleke said.