Cocoa farmers call for irrigation across producing states

Cocoa farmers in Nigeria tasked the Federal government on the need to establish irrigation across cluster cocoa farms in the country.

Adeola Adegoke, newly appointed chairman of the Cocoa Farmers Association of Nigeria (CFAN) who made the call at the inauguration ceremony of new executive held at in Akure, the Ondo state capital said the call became imperative due to heat waves which will boost cocoa production.

Adegoke explained that the irrigation process is important because of the danger posed by the present climate conditions which is very unfavorable to cocoa regeneration and sustainability.

He also said that it will also help to move the country to number one in the committee of cocoa producing nations.

Adeola noted that CFAN under his leadership will collaborate with stakeholders in the cocoa industry and the government to improve the richly natural resources.

According to him, CFAN would also partner with the government in order to work towards the improvement and fixing of deplorable infrastructures in cocoa villages and towns across the nation.

He noted that the interest of the farmers will also be protected and they will give consideration to the area of provision of subsidized inputs.

While commending governor Rotimi Akeredolu for the free distributions of Five Hundred thousand hybrid cocoa seedlings to farmers, Adeola said

Also, the immediate past governor of Ondo state Olusegun Mimiko who was at the occasion urged the federal government to continue to subsidize agricultural products and tools used by the farmers.