Boosting economy with cocoa production
By Ede Cocoa Processing Plant, Osun State, is the only, remaining cocoa factory in Nigeria.
It has no debt burden and it is now producing Nigeria’s cocoa cake, powder, chocolate and butter.
This makes it easy for Nigeria’s processed cocoa to compete favourably. Ede cocoa plant products remains one of the fastest selling and most desirable agricultural commodities in the international market due to the rapid growth and expansion of chocolate confectioneries and other products.
Ile Oluji Nigeria Limited, Nigeria’s oldest cocoa tonnes processing firm, has only processed 2,000 metric tonnes of cocoa since the beginning of the year, which is by far below its 30,000 metric tons installed capacity.
FTN Cocoa Processors Plc, a company listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange with a 20,000MT processing capacity showed that it has only been able to process 600MT between January and June.
Multi-Trex Integrated Foods PLC, Nigeria’s largest cocoa processing factory with a production capacity of 65,000MT per annum, has since been shut down and thereafter taken over by the Asset Management Corporation Organisation of Nigeria (AMCON) over a N5 billion non-performing loan the processor acquired.
Osun State is putting a stop to billions of naira that Nigerians are using to import chocolate, and other cocoa products from EU countries.
Osun Cocoa Processing Plant is now producing made-in-Nigeria cocoa butter, cocoa cake, cocoa powder and chocolate which is about to flood the world market after more than 30 years of wobbling and fumbling.
Despite living in one of the world’s biggest grower of cocoa beans, Nigerian residents have never quite embraced chocolate as part of the national diet. Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State has provided lifeline for cocoa farmers in Nigeria.
Interestingly, Osun is a major producer of chocolate today and a major cocoa-producing state. The state is the third largest cocoa producer in the South West after Ondo and Oyo states. It largely draws its rising profile as a big role player and producer of the cash crop from cocoa farms.
The arrival of a new chocolate factory in Osun State will also allow Nigerian planters to finally access the pleasure of chocolate.
With Ede cocoa processing plant, Governor Aregbesola has expanded assistance to cocoa farmers and numerous stakeholders within the cocoa value sequence regarding the development of cocoa in Nigeria.
At least, now, our people know that more value accrues to them if they process cocoa rather than exporting in its raw form.
Inwalomhe Donald, Benin City.
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