BusineSSWEEK NOVEMBER 26, 2012
29
AGRIBIZ
Ondo, Osun promote cocoa consumption to drive production By !ME 0t.A 1 """y of boosting coc~ production. <>SUn and Ondo stales nov. 'C: cocoa dnnks II Ihcu official fund""" Spa!.,"g al a worUhop to re"'~ the
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2012 ImpJcrnc:nlllllon
or the
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(onnallon .groda. Mr. Toba Aden(w.11I'O. an official from lhl: Ondo SlItt Mlrusll')' of AgnculIUfe. said. '"Cocoa dnIll IS no .... a toast I' all Stale: functKlns ~ Accordmg 10 Admov,'Wu. Ondo IS. home to fOUf oul of sevcn flmCllonal cocoa ~ ccssmg facloncs In the country and these
arc Cocoa f'roduru. Ilc Olu]l; Stanmarr., Ondo; Coop Cocoa Producu ltd.. Akure and Agro-lmc:rs 1'11- Ltd .Iso In Akure "'n Ondo State. COCOII IS the number one Iree crop. and we: are IIo'Ofimg hard \ 0 Increase" prodUC::IIOli In hne: With the: Agncuhural Transformallon Agenda (ATA).~ he said. On her part. Mn Flonncc: Jlmibadc:. Programme: Manager, Commerclll Tree Crops Programme from Osun State. said ~My S1JItc: has comparanvc: ad~ta8cs In cocoa production The stale: gO\-cmmenl IS
(."our-hl)' diSposed to dcvelopmg the: cocoa lranSfOrmallon agenda. expectmg 10 rehablhtate: old coco. farms The consumpuon of pure cocoa IS common m the stale: and Osun IS the only state feeding school chlLdn::n wnh cocoa dnOO We also sene m all our functions." To o\'ercome the exlSltng challenges. she added MWenccd capacity bulldm, and ImsailOr! oftM seed garden!. For the produtt department In Osuo there might soon be a legls"oon agalnsl roadsl(k drying of cocoa as thlS aHecls thc \'alue of cocoa beans " Adcnowuro tned bud 10 conVince d)t partlclpanu thai hiS sule ~-as the nwnber one cocoa producer m the counlr)' He said '"Ondo has o ... er SO nursery 10C3IIDnS where liybnd cocoa ,eceihngs ~ rlJ.lsed yearly_ It has a minimum of one: million seedhngs p .... en somelunes free. somellmes sold 6.000.000 were: seedhngs produced between 2008 and 2012 out of which ~U60.082 seedlings were dlstribUled 10 3,439 fanncn and planted o\'a 4.961 44 hecw-es of 13M ~ To boost pnxiUCIiOll. frunmg I' no! left 10 ehances a.<. hand polhnallon IS used for pod prodUCtion 'The state. he s:ud. has five
(anners dlo nol bne money to rcdcc:m their Inputs dunng the flag-ofT and suggest· ed that (ulUre roll-out o( GES should be
bclwc-cn December and Janulr)' when farmers scUthelr rroduce and have money 10 collect mputs lie suggested thai cocoa GES rol1-out should be rcYlSIted and camed 001 In four dalgnaled areas and (armCl""li should be well mcKllhscd. ahead o( CXerclSC Jrl future Mr Sam Odocme1am. a dlreclOf In the MmlStry of Agncull\ITe Abla Stale 11Stc<i the major problems mlhutlng agamsl cocoa producllon In hiS state "For lack of (unds. 50 many (anners leased their own (arms to others on shan-tcml basiS fot IJUllOtcnance The shan-term leasehold u a dISlneroUVe: 10 lhe development of sucb (arms It has not bc= easy to get funds through the hanb." be \amc:ntcd. Accord,"g to Odocmdam. Growth Enhancmlcnl Suppon IS yet 10 be rolled out. 1bc Stale staned Implc:mentatton o( establishment of cocoa nuner), In 2000 and
hshmcnt of the nuncry for the year. ~ he
",d Team
leader of the Cocoa Transfonnatlon Agenda. Dr Peter AlkpoL.l)(NiJOn. explamed the (acton that would cncounJ.:(' more Inveslment m the cocoa Vllluc chams. -Value IddltJon and enlblm, envn onmenl (o r In ... estors through suppon 10 produce. cocoa marketIDg and trade corporation bUIlt on sustainable PPP pl3lfonn. "We- V.1Ul1 to ensure that the financml II\SUlUUDnS agTC"C 10 do busmC'SS With the Industry. -F IT'SI 8anL IS already doing thaI." He stressed the need 10 OYC'rcomc the prev.uhng chaJlc;nga such as lpathy mmalJy 10 ATA. poor stile o(pm'lle sec· tor llignment. poor scnsllll.allon of farmen ali staLcholden and 510.... procurement proc:ess II feden.! and Slate kvds He spoke o( plans to Improve farmly Income and h~hh00d5, nollng tbaL 10
Kwara inaugurates committee on Agric masterplan
ra S tate Go\·ernor. AlhajJ Abdulflu.ah Ahmed.. hal inaugunltt'd II -mll n COmmil1H to impacmenl eonstnllnlS such as old (arms, lOW-Yielding the K1II'Ira S tatr A~ lturc Ma.sler ' "Ian VlIllctICS. pests and diseases. 5011 (erullty CK»lr).. lnaugutl-ung the CommlllCC In Ilorm. degnKialion and """Cather challenges. old age o( (annen. lack o( 1Dternt by youth. Ahmed. ..... 110 IS also Its chamnan. satd urba.nn:auon Ind land lenure:. ap:nhy KAMP.• five:-year plan &:vdaped m piU1. agamsl nC'll> technologlcs _ lie said the sute ncrstup v.,1h Corneu UllIversny. New York. stili grapples With basiC data. high cost and Umvcnlly o( Bonn and Kwan Stale searcny o( agncultural mputs. poor In(ra· UN\'ClSlty. tS a carc:fulty arucubtcd plan (Of ~ K ....'l1J2 the agncultural hub m !he SUUClUrc, poor prlcmg and poor (undmg Elm Stalc searu; 10 be wonmg m the \\ 'c::sI Afncan suIHegJoo 'Havmg pl()r)CO""t(j successful ~ same dlTecuon IS to.h Ru(us Ami. an offi· cllli o( the ~taIC·' mmlsU) o( agncuJt\ITe. agnculrurc m!he Jft''IOUS adnurustraoon. ..... e arc moving I Sll:p further ..... Ith KAMP said Ibc: stale has 00.000 heclaf1:s o( Imd through a panncrshlP !he acadcnua. sllitable for cocoa production MmlStf) o( the JlfI\~ sectcI". (3JmI,:I'"'; and gm-emmcnt. A!,,"cuiture. Ih collaborating ..... llh Ihe Ekllt We decided 10 bcnctmm. against best JII"X' St.:IIle L;mVefSiI). has estabhshed a 10uces globally..... Juch led to the ~g:rul1l: of an hcctan: cocoa clonal gardcn vnthm the um- Mol1 .... 11h Cornell bsI: July. he saNi. Wt'SSIDg vennty (ann ThI5 IS to SCI I plat(1)I"TIl for Ius behc-f lhal ~ CiUI be the maiRSU) lralnmg and research and 10 generale of the "'<Igc:nan cconomy. I( pbnncd and h!"bnd pods It ~ III cstabhsh another fh('· unp&cmcnted Ib outlmed In KAMP. hectAre cocoa seed Rarden \1\ Ilhm lhe unllie ~ them 10 .....on. dihgmtl~ 10 VCfSn'f research fann " cmun: the alms o( (ood sccunt) and agroAlthough he Solid the first Growth dn\'eII econonuc prosperll)" arc ac~ Enhancement SUJ'POM (GESI e'etClS( In v.1Ihin the IImehncs tb: sml\~ had SOm(' challcnges. he ncMcd. \\'}Uk pledgmg 10 support 1hc comnuttcc to ho.....C"\'er. Ihal the rcdempllon under GES successrully IInplcmenl Its mandate. can be Impro\'ed upon If more efTon IS put CiovmlOf Ahmed s;ud mcrribm; had been 1010 ~ensl"zallon He s:ud mlJonly o( carc(ull~ chosen based on thcu- IraCl·m:ord
cocoa clonal seed gardens for nursery c:st.Ibhshment but operales under some
IS no.... plalUung 10 get hybnd pods for 2013. Tbcn we "'-111 commence the estab-
mcrease producuvlfY. the) neC'd 10 suppon research 11115 year. we ~ conccntnlllng on SOil fmlhl) C\'IIUillion Go\'cmment pohClcs Will no.... be looking at MillennIUm l)e\·elopmenl Goals. EconomiC Pannershlp AgrcemcnlS and Export ExpanSion Grants.." he said Alkpok.podlon disclosed that pm.. te sec· tor corpor1iIte bodlCS ~ Ilready Cf1)\IIodmg 11\. On expansion. he Aid 150.000 hecW"CS o( ncv. plantallons .... 111 be de\'e\opcd. engaging the pnvate sector operalars sucb as Mullllrex, AlmaJaro and Olam MAlrcady. Dangote IS Int~ed In SO.OOO hecw-es. Memorancb of Undcntandmg beIng developed. IS 10 be firu.hzcd 5000. ~ He told the gathcnng bo.... lbe World Cocoa Foundallon (WCF) IS pulling some money In the projects Nallona.l PreslCknl o( Cocoa A55OCllIlIon o( Nlgeru !CAN). Sayma Rmlan. u"ed the pubhc sector 10 play the role o( cnablcr while the pn~'ale sector dnves the IndUSU)" "Lc:t us (astllon OUI models 10 enable pn. vale sector 10 own prop1lmmes..~ be SlUd. He wxed oUla SIOlI.cS to learn (rom the example o( synergy belwcen the prI\~le and pubhc sectors, (ound In Ondo State
ben;
IQ
amon,
v.,11 JU5Ufy the oonfxlcnc:c reposed m
.... b) do< """"""'" b) """"""'"' """ assignment ....·11h high b'd of convmtmcrU and effort 10 ensure !lw the posm~ W I· comes 3J1UCIpatcd by KAMP are aducvcd wnhln the Stlpulatcd tunclmcs Tk KAMP comrmttcc's lerms o( refer· ence, accon.hng 10 the ScnlOf Spcc1aJ Asstslanl. Investment PoUcy and ~. Aba)'Oll\l Ogunshob.. m 10 dc"V'c1op I !CI'CfaJ fnrrlev.vi. 10 acm'C the O\'tnll pis of KAMP and ~'dop I spoc1flC w"Od scope for eacb rrulc:s!onc Oclx:n. :uc 10 develop a 1in:mcUl(! strategy (or the ach)C\·crncnt O(Wgcb .....uh the prw3te sect«. dooof agcnoes. \·cnturc caplt.'lI and pm~ cqult) fums v.hl~ the ~'t:I1IInC:r\1 cnsun:s thai the cnablml! cn\·1f"OJ1mCI"ll1S put In place 11 all umc:s 10 pori the prt\'alc SCCIOf lfl\-'CStmcrIU Other mc:rnbcn; o(the comrmttcc:uc \'ICC Chancellor o( K .... -an Sute Um\'CtSII). Pro(essor Rasheed /'I,'a 'Albh. Corrvntwoncr for Wori.s and Transport. Dr Amuda. Kllnrukc. Comml'i:SlOOCI" for fotn:lDCC. Alhajl
sup:.
and CIpiIO~ 10 male ~..Juablc contnb.mons 10 thc IlICC"CSSful unpIematlaliOO of KAMP and wged them 10 be dthgmt m Ihctr ""vi. as agncultun:: L~ the fulcrum o( the SUlIC·S ec0nomiC pllns u enshnncd In Shared Prospcn~ He SiUd th;u v.,lh "-AMP. thc ~(' v.,11 he lcad!n(! the ..-zy In IgnctJiturc refonns bul ....,It! an cm('hasasOfl partnCfShip .....tth cotICaI staL.choldc:n ~ as the acadmua.. dfcc· uve pbnrung and an embedded mccharusm for Monlloong:and E\..ruauon Spcalmg earlier. Sccrcwy 10 the State Govcrnmmt and IJrcpu!y Cbauman of Ihc Com'TUtlC'C. Alba)1 lsala Gold. s:ud mcm-
Demola A~
Banu.
(onuniSSIOflCf
(or
Mr Bode OI.aymu, Abay-on"
0gunsh0Ia. Dtrtctor GcnC'raI or Bureau or Land.... Mr Tope Dar.amoI.a. SCnlOf Spec...1 As.'il.sunt on Media and C ommumcaUOflL Dr Muydcm Olu .....afmll Alorcdc and Sc:ruor SI'CCIilI .'\SSlStanl on Agnculturc. AlbaJI Babarundc Mahmud AJC1!->hc