Osun Gov’t reaffirms commitment to strengthening Cocoa value chain, food production
By Deborah Oladejo, Osogbo
The Osun State Government recently engaged in high-level discussions with several organizations, including Lutheran World Relief (LWR), the Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria (CRIN), the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Clever, and Ecometrica, in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the implementation of the Traceability and Resilience in Agriculture and Cocoa Ecosystem (TRACE) project.
The initiative aims to enhance the cocoa value chain in Nigeria, focusing on boosting agricultural productivity.
The Osun State Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Otunba Tola Faseru, who chaired the meeting at the Government Secretariat in Abere, emphasized the Ademola Adeleke-led government’s commitment to supporting the TRACE project.
Faseru, along with the top management of his ministry, assured stakeholders that the government would make every effort to provide the necessary support to strengthen the cocoa value chain in the state.
In his welcome address, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Agriculture and Food Security, Hon. Olaniran Atidade, welcomed the attendees and expressed confidence in the Ademola Adeleke administration’s dedication to the successful implementation of the project.
Speaking at the event, the leader of the team, also known as Chief of Party, Mr. Nene Akwete, announced that the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is committed to implementing the TRACE project to strengthen the cocoa value chain in Nigeria.
He stated that the primary objective of the program is to improve cocoa production not only in Osun but also in other states like Abia, Akwa Ibom, and Ondo, with approximately 68,000 beneficiary farmers.
The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Mr. Moruf Olawale, expressed appreciation for the delegation’s visit and reaffirmed the state government’s readiness to collaborate on the program.
The Director of Tree Crops, Mr. Idris Olatunbosun, praised the current administration in Osun State for its support of all farmers in the state and expressed confidence in the government’s genuine interest in and dedication to the program’s objectives.
