Cocoa Farmers Association of Nigeria (CFAN) has appealed to the Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, to urgently suspend the newly introduced ₦250,000 per hectare levy imposed on cocoa farmers operating within the state’s forest reserves.
In an open letter signed by the National President of CFAN Comrade Adeola Adegoke, and addressed to the Governor, he described the levy, comprising ₦100,000 for a five-year permit and ₦150,000 for polygon mapping, as “unsustainable, unjust, and devastating” to thousands of smallholder cocoa farmers across the state.
According to the letter, Comrade Adegoke who is also the Global President of the Cocoa Farmers Alliance Association of Africa (COFAAA), stated that the policy has thrown many farmers into distress, forcing some to abandon their farms due to the financial burden.
Part of the letter reads: “The new directive demanding a total of ₦250,000 per hectare from farmers operating in the Ondo State Forest Reserves – ₦100,000 for a 5-year permit and ₦150,000 for polygon mapping, has thrown thousands of cocoa farmers into distress.
“This policy, as it stands, threatens the very existence of smallholder cocoa farmers who have sustained cocoa farming for decades. These are men and women who rise before dawn, walk deep into the forests, and work with bare hands to nurture the commodity that has placed Ondo State on the global agricultural map and also provide livelihoods for generations.
“Many of them are aged. Some are widows who rely on small farms left by their late husbands. Some are youths struggling to find dignity in agriculture instead of idleness. For them, ₦250,000 is not a mere administrative fee, it is a mountain too high to climb.
“Your Excellency, since the announcement of this policy, fear and frustration have spread among our members. Some farmers have begun to abandon their farms, unable to see a future in cocoa production.
“Many are in tears, wondering if the same government that once celebrated them now sees them as strangers in their own state.
“This directive is not only unsustainable, it is unjust. It widens the gap between smallholder farmers and large investors.
“ While small farmers are asked to pay ₦250,000 per hectare for only five years, big investors with large hectares enjoy long-term permits of several decades at far cheaper rates.
He acknowledged Governor Aiyedatiwa’s efforts in promoting agricultural development and commended the state government’s commitment to sustainability and innovation.
He however noted that policies must “carry the human face of compassion, especially when they touch the lives of those who feed the state and uphold its agricultural productivity.”
According to Adegoke, the new directive risks widening inequality between smallholder farmers and large investors, who reportedly enjoy long-term permits at lower rates.
“Your Excellency, how can the poor pay more than the rich? How can those who have worked the land for generations be made to suffer for what others get as privilege? This inequality is what breaks the
hearts of our smallholder cocoa farmers the most.
“Moreso, the timing of this policy could not be more difficult. The global cocoa market is unstable, and prices have fallen drastically.
“Production costs have risen sharply, from fertilizers to chemicals to labour , yet farmers’ earnings continue to shrink. To now impose such a heavy payment is to tighten the rope around their necks.”
The CFAN President also noted that while the policy may have been introduced in line with the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) requirements, the intent of the regulation is to support farmers toward traceable and deforestation-free production, not to impose financial hardship.
Adegoke warned that the continuation of the policy could cripple farmers’ income, discourage production, and foster resistance toward EUDR implementation.
According to the letter, Ondo State, which produces about 90,000 metric tonnes of cocoa annually — nearly one-third of Nigeria’s total output, owes much of this achievement to smallholder farmers.
Adegoke cautioned that neglecting their plight could weaken the state’s leading position in Nigeria’s cocoa sector.
His words: “The EUDR was designed to help farmers adopt better practices, not to punish them financially. Our farmers are already doing the hard work to make their cocoa traceable, practices agroforestry, deforestation-free, and child-labour-free. They deserve encouragement, not another
heavy burden.
“If this policy continues as it is, it will not only cripple smallholder cocoa farmers income, it could lead to low productivity, insecurity and resistance toward EUDR implementation itself. Cocoa farmers may see sustainability as oppression rather than collaboration.
“It is to be noted that Ondo State produces about 90,000 metric tonnes of cocoa annually, nearly one-third of Nigeria’s total output.
“This achievement is not the work of the government alone, but of countless smallholder cocoa farmers who have persevered in the face of hardship, bad roads, poor access to finance, climate change, insecurity, high cost of inputs and fluctuating market prices.
“They are the reason Ondo State is still called “the Leading Cocoa State.” If they are broken, the foundation of our cocoa legacy will collapse. The state will lose its competitive advantage and its proud history in agriculture will fade.”
He therefore appealed to the Governor to: suspend the ₦250,000 per hectare payment pending further consultation; convene an emergency meeting with stakeholders to discuss a fair alternative; reduce the levy to reflect current economic realities; ensure equity between smallholders and large investors; and explore state-supported mapping programs to help farmers meet EUDR standards.
“Please, do not allow the tears of farmers to water the soil of our cocoa heritage. Let history remember you as the leader who strengthened agriculture with fairness and compassion,” Adegoke concluded.
The letter was copied to the Honourable Commissioner for Agriculture and Forestry, Permanent Secretaries in the Ministries of Agriculture and Forestry, the SSA on Agriculture and Agribusiness, and leaders of various farmers’ associations across Ondo State.
