NIGERIA- The Cocoa Farmers Association of Nigeria (CFAN) has urged the EU Commission to extend the implementation of the European Union Deforestation Regulations (EUDR) scheduled from December 2024 to December 2025 due to the unpreparedness of smallholder farmers.
CFAN made the plea via an open letter made available to media outlets in Nigeria, addressed to the European Union, addressed to Janusz Wojciechowski, the EU Commissioner for Agriculture, and signed by Adeola Adegoke, the Association’s National President.
The plea was supported by Nigeria’s government, the United States, and various EU member states.
Although Nigeria’s cocoa sector has made significant strides this year, smallholder farmers lack the technology, financing, and skills required for EUDR compliance.
The Association’s national President said, “We appreciate the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security and other relevant bodies for their support. We have made significant strides, but we need more time to ensure full compliance and to protect the livelihoods of our farmers.”
Adegoke highlighted the sector has managed to achieve 60% traceability of beans within its supply chain through collaborative efforts by all stakeholders. He also cited data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) that revealed the value of cocoa exports was N408.66 billion (US$273.8 million) in Q1 2024 2024, a 279% increase from N107.59 billion (US$72.4 million) reported in Q1 2023.
This surge in production, however, is mostly due to supply constraints currently experienced in the international cocoa market caused by low production in Ghana and Ivory Coast.
CFAN’s National Chair reiterated Nigeria contributes 6.5% to the global cocoa production. As such, he argued the plea should be considered because Nigeria plays a significant role in the international market by virtue of this contribution.
Adegoke also reiterated the various advocacy and capacity building initiatives in the sector, more so the Cocoa Farmers Roundtable Conference which provides education to smallholder farmers on sustainable farming practices and the importance of deforestation-free cocoa farming, albeit supported by other stakeholders.
However, CFAN highlights that gaps still exist in terms of knowledge, skills, and technology available to farmers. The Association has called on the EU Commission to postpone the implementation by a year.
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