Zowasel Opens Two Crop Centers Across Ondo to Support Cocoa Farmers Beyond Paper Certifications
Zowasel, a sustainable and traceable marketplace for crops has launched two Crop Center remote infrastructures across Idanre and Bamikemo communities, Ondo State, Southwest Nigeria to develop the Cocoa value chain and support farmers beyond paper certification.
The Crop Center serves as a one-stop-shop remote infrastructure, connecting farmers to the Zowasel platform, offering access to improved farm inputs, financial services, training on Good Agricultural Practices (GAP), free Agronomy Services, and ultimately, direct market access for farmers to sell and earn more for their crops to improve their quality of life.
It also offers buyers the opportunity to buy sustainable and traceable cocoa across communities, people, and the planet based on international best practices that support the production of cocoa in the world.
Ondo State is a central cocoa-producing hub in the West African country. It accounts for the most Cocoa output capacity in the country, producing about 77,000 tons per annum, with Idanre and Bamikemo communities strategically located across towns and villages contributing to those numbers.
As part of the Zowasel Sustainability Program, approximately 4,500 cocoa farmers from partner cooperatives across Idanre, Bamikemo, and neighboring communities are expected to benefit through a living income differential that would allow them to maintain a decent and adequate standard of living for themselves and their families.
The program rewards practices that increase crop productivity and help secure additional sources of income, which aim to close the gap in living income and help protect children. Zowasel is deploying a holistic approach that aims to deliver a long-lasting impact by training farmers on sustainability, incentivizing the enrollment of children in school while advancing regenerative agriculture practices and gender equality.
Speaking at the launch, Mr. Abel Ogunleye, Zowasel’s Sustainable Sourcing Lead for Southwest stated that: “The Nigerian cocoa value chain and cocoa farmers need support urgently to improve production systems to compete globally.”
“The new remote infrastructures offer one-stop opportunities for smallholder farmers to be served better right in their communities with improved seed varieties, knowledge gaps, and direct market access beyond paper certification”, he further stated.
The Zowasel Crop Center is reviving and revitalizing previously inactive farmers’ cooperative societies across key value chains in Nigeria, bringing them together again and strengthening them to produce sustainable crops that are traceable, while improving the quality of life of members.
Reacting to the new Crop Centers, Mrs. Ronke Akindoju, President of Tonikoko Farmers Cooperative Society, Bamikemo Ondo State, stated, “Our cooperative building was in rough shape before Zowasel came to our community to rebuild and restore it for us. We are all delighted that Zowasel is here to help our members to produce sustainable crops, and sell them at a warm premium to provide for their families.”
Also, speaking, Mr. Bayo, Ag. Manager Idanre Cocoa Farmers Union, stated, “Our members are happy and looking forward to gaining direct access and prompt payment against what is obtainable now in the local markets. We are also looking forward to getting quality inputs to improve our productivity.”
Zowasel partners present at the commissioning include; Barry Callebaut, Notore Chemicals, Guinness Nigeria Plc., VFD Microfinance Bank, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Mitsubishi Corporation (Nigeria) Limited, and Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
Visit the Zowasel Facebook page here and here see event photos.
