Africa's cocoa farmers urged not to depend entirely on foreign market

Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo has called on African cocoa countries to make joint efforts to defend cocoa price on the international market rather than cutting cocoa production to shore up the price.

Speaking at the First Africa Cocoa Summit which was opened here on Saturday, the Nigerian president urged cocoa farmers on the continent "not to depend entirely on the foreign market to survive, " saying that he believed the Libreville Production Management Plan (PMP), which required major cocoa exporters to cut production, was faulty because it did not consider the local scene.

While admitting that "we consume what we do not produce and produce what we do not consume," Obasanjo noted that one strategy that would improve the dwindling prices was to encourage local consumption.

He listed some of cocoa by-products to include cocoa-butter, cocoa-cake, cocoa-wine, cocoa-powder, chocolate, cocoa body cream, cocoa composite bread, cocoa soap and animal feed.

While stressing on the need to increase production of cocoa and its by-products for both local and foreign consumption, Obasanjo said it was the only way to guarantee market and good prices for cocoa farmers.

He said Cote d'Ivoire, which is the leading producer on the continent produced 1.2 million tons, Ghana about 800,000 tons and Nigeria, whose production shot up from 150,000 tons to about 400, 000 tons must join hands with others to save farmers.

He stressed the importance of a united action by African producers to counter moves by consumer countries, which he said, were developing substitute for some cocoa products including cocoa butter with a view to reducing dependence on cocoa beans.

Similarly, he said, various trade barriers and legislation were being put in place in addition to the introduction of Minimum Residue Level and the introduction of the cocoa seed to some countries that were not traditionally cocoa producers.

He said there was the need for proactive action among African countries and also the need to expand the cocoa market beyond London, to China "where we can encourage the 1.3 billion population there to eat one chocolate bar per week."

He added that the meeting should evolve short-, medium- and long-term strategies for the sustainable development of the cocoa industry in Africa for the benefit of its people.

Sao Tome and Principe President Frederque de Menezes and high- ranking officials from Uganda, Ghana, Cote d'Ivoire and Togo were unanimous in their separate addresses on the need for Africa to take joint action on cocoa.

Source: Xinhua