CFAN RAISE ALARM OVER "FAKE CHEMICALS "
The Cocoa Farmers Association of Nigeria ( (CFAN)has raised alarm over losses occasioned by the alleged supply of 'fake 'chemicals and other inputs to their members for the 2017 harvesting season.
Speaking in Akure, the ondo state capital at a news conference , the National Vice Chairman (South west) Ayodele Joseph said , the association urged President Muhammed Buhari to quickly intervened on the issue of 'economic sabotage 'allegedly perpetrated by some officials of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture,Abuja over the inputs been givento the farmers.
The procured inputs according to the CFAN members are fungicides, which the farmers posit have destroyed their cocoa trees and farms across the country.
National Vice President(Southwest)of CFAN, Ayodele Joseph noted that they had earlier appealed to the Ministry on the need to be involved whenever critical issues relating to the procurement of inputs were being discussed to enable them list their demands for the year.
Inhis words, "We want Buhari to know that most of the inputs procured in the past like jute bags, solo sprayer, pumps, fungicides and insecticides were rejected by cocoa farmers due to its low standard.
"Those farmers that used part of it, regretted their action later because of the negative impacts on their cocoa farms".
The Association lamented that Cocoa that used to be the mainstay of Nigeria's economy particularly in the old western region had been relegated to the background due to the 'unpatriotic' nature of those saddled with the responsibility of promoting the major cash crop.
CFAN said its members had earlier written to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo when President Buhari was away in London,stressing that the VP forwarded the letter to the Minister, Chief Audu Ogbe, but lamented that there was no response on the matter .
Moreso, the Association said several letters were written to the Minister on the issue without any positive action on the matter .
CFAN called on the federal government to stop the ongoing procurement of Cocoa inputs at the Ministry, until consultations were made with them as representatives of the peasant Cocoa farmers in the country to avoid friction.
The Association said there was the need to save Cocoa farmers from 'untimely deaths' due to the havoc allegedly caused by the Ministry,stressing that they depended solely on cocoa as their source of income and country's foreign exchange earnings. Adding that the association may not hesitate at staging protest to press home their demands in this regard.
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