80% potentialities in coconut value chain untapped – NACOPPMAN

 Mrs Nma Okoroji, President, National Coconut Producers, Processors and Marketers Association of Nigeria (NACOPPMAN), has urged the Federal and State Governments to establish coconut plantations to harness the value chain potential.

Okoroji told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Lagos that coconut value chain had huge potentials in export, job creation, health and wellness, poverty alleviation and, women and youth empowerment.

According to her, coconut value chain has huge potentials that could transform Nigeria’s economy, if well harnessed.

She noted that about 80 per cent of the value chain had not been tapped.

Okoroji described coconut plantation as a lifetime investment that would continue to yield income for posterity.

“It is an industry where over 80 per cent of its potentialities remain untapped. Only 20 per cent have been tapped, as we speak.

“In 2020, in spite of the COVID-19 pandemic, the value chain generated millions of dollars through export of coconut oil and its derivatives.

“Coconut remains a major non-oil export foreign exchange earner for the country. It is a product that has an inelastic value chain because every part of it is useful,” she said.

Okoroji said that government should channel more resources into planting of more viable coconut trees during the 2021 National Tree Planting Day, to create more awareness.

According to the NACOPPMAN president, coconut tree is best planted during the rainy season, urging more commitment on the part of government.

She advised state governors to allocate more land to coconut farmers for the proposed 10,000 hectares of coconut plantation in the 34 viable states in Nigeria.

Okoroji said that the 10,000-hectare coconut plantation would create employment for women and youths, adding that such investment could attract more export opportunities.

According to her, what we want now is the establishment of a 10,000-hectare coconut plantation in each state of the federation during the 2021 farming season.

“This is the rainy season and the best season to plant coconut tree is now.

“One hectare of coconut plantation employs 10 people. So when we establish 10,000 hectares in each state, we will create a lot of employment for our people,” she said.

According to Okoroji, each state can create about 100,000 jobs through coconut farming.

“Imagine how much we will generate if our governments invest more in this sector.

“All parts of coconut are useful: the husk, shell, flesh, water, leaves, heart, trunk and others,” the NACOPPMAN president said.

She listed the coconut producing states to include: Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Edo, Delta, Akwa-Ibom, Rivers, Cross River, Imo and Benue.

NAN reports that the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Sabo Nanono, had, on April 7, said that Nigeria generated 150 million dollars from the export of coconut oil and its derivatives in 2020.

Nanono noted that coconut accounted for 10 per cent of the nation’s agricultural exports, adding that it was expected to generate more than 250 million dollars by 2021.

He stated that coconut provided livelihood for more than 500,000 families, mostly women and youths, in the country.