Ekiti Government has distributed 50,000 seedlings at 50% subsidy in a deliberate move to ease the burden on farmers and encourage more people, especially the youth, to take interest in cocoa farming.
Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Mr. Ebenezer Boluwade who disclosed this while outlining the State Government’s ongoing interventions in the cocoa value chain at Ekiti said the plan is to grow a sustainable, profitable and globally competitive cocoa economy.
“In the last two weeks alone, we’ve distributed over 50,000 subsidized cocoa seedlings to both new and existing farmers. The distribution will increase further as the rains stabilize,” Boluwade said.
To consolidate on this, the State is also expanding its nursery capacity to accommodate half a million seedlings over the next two years.
Beyond the seedlings, farmers are also benefitting from free land clearing, access to agrochemicals and insecticides at half the cost, and clustering into groups for hands-on training in Best Agronomic Practices.
A major innovation he said is currently underway with the development of a seedlings tracker under the TRACE Project, an initiative supported by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). It is a digital tool to help farmers track the health and progress of their cocoa crops from planting to harvest.
Also to combat deforestation and align with international trade requirements, the state is working closely with the Forestry Commission to implement the Land Use Land Cover (LULC) mapping system, in response to the European Union Deforestation Regulations (EUDR).
“The EU remains the largest consumer and processor of cocoa into chocolate, and we’re positioning our farmers to meet those standards,” the Commissioner said.
The State is also scaling up its enforcement of anti-bush burning laws, with stricter penalties for defaulters to protect the environment and secure long-term productivity.
In what could become a game-changer for local cocoa producers, the government is already in advanced discussions with top cocoa exporters to establish nucleus farms, out-grower schemes, and cocoa processing plants that will produce cocoa butter, flour, and liquor products right here in Ekiti.
“This transcends mere agriculture; it embodies economic transformation, employment, and innovation. We take pride in spearheading this cocoa renaissance from Ekiti,” Boluwade concluded.
