Unless young Nigerians are quickly made to develop interest in cocoa cultivation, the future of the cash crop is bleak, a cross section of farmers has said.
A number of old cocoa farmers, who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria on in Ibadan, Oyo State said that the crop could go into extinction if young and able-bodied Nigerians were unwilling to take over its cultivation.
``We farmers are getting old and the youth are not interested in the cultivation of the crop. This has been our predicament,'' said Mr Josiah Olayiwola, Chairman Ogo-Oluwa Cocoa Association of Nigeria (CAN).
``We hardly have our young ones getting involved in cocoa farming. Once they are through with their primary or secondary education, they head for towns and cities in search of fast money,'' he said.
Also speaking with NAN, Mr Olajire Babalola, a farmer, said that cocoa's long gestation period had made it unattractive for the youth as they see its cultivation as a waste of time and energy.
``Most youths are not used to hard labour, all they want is to make fast money and buy big cars. We want them to have genuine interest in cocoa farming.
``It is disheartening that those of them (youth) who even studied agricultural sciences are not also showing interest in farming, as all they are interested in is how to make quick money,'' he said.
Mr Gabriel Kehinde, Project Manager, Oyo State Tree Crops Development Unit, urged the government to encourage youths to go into farming by allocating more funds to the agriculture sector.
Kehinde said that although government was doing its best to improve the sector, more farm hands were needed to boost cocoa production.
He said that at present, Oyo State had 4,800 registered cocoa farmers.

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