Tension is rising across Ondo State’s cocoa belt as smallholder farmers decry a new government directive requiring them to pay ₦250,000 per hectare to continue farming within forest reserves — a policy they warn could cripple livelihoods and threaten the state’s thriving cocoa industry.
The farmers, who described the directive as “a death sentence on small cocoa holders,” have appealed to Governor Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa to urgently suspend the levy, warning that it could cripple cocoa production and destroy decades of agricultural progress in the state.
The heartfelt plea was contained in an open letter signed by Comrade Adeola Adegoke, National President of the Cocoa Farmers Association of Nigeria (CFAN) and Global President of the Cocoa Farmers Alliance of Africa (COFAAA).
Adegoke, a key member of the National Cocoa Management Committee (NCMC) and the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) Committee, said the new charges — ₦100,000 for a five-year permit and ₦150,000 for polygon mapping — have thrown thousands of cocoa farmers into distress.
“For small farmers, ₦250,000 is not a mere fee — it is an impossible mountain,” Adegoke lamented. “Many of our members are elderly, widows, or struggling youths who depend entirely on their small farms. This policy will push them out of cocoa farming.”
Adegoke described the policy as “economically unrealistic and morally unfair,” noting that while smallholders are being charged exorbitant fees for short-term permits, large investors with vast hectares enjoy long-term access at much lower rates.
“How can the poor pay more than the rich?” he queried. “It is painful that the same farmers who built Ondo’s cocoa legacy are now being priced out of their land.”
He said the policy was already taking its toll, with several farmers abandoning their fields in frustration. “Many are in tears. They feel betrayed by a government that once celebrated them,” he added.
The CFAN leader further stressed that the timing of the policy could not be worse. The international cocoa market has been volatile, with declining prices, while input costs — from fertilizers to chemicals and labour — have risen sharply.
“At a time when farmers are battling high costs and unstable global prices, the new levy is like tightening the rope around their necks,” he warned.
While acknowledging that the state’s decision might be linked to the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), Adegoke said the regulation was designed to promote sustainable and traceable cocoa production, not to impose financial punishment.
“The EUDR is meant to empower farmers, not to impoverish them. Our members already practice agroforestry, avoid child labour, and ensure deforestation-free cocoa. They deserve encouragement, not another burden,” he said.
He cautioned that if the levy is enforced, it could backfire — discouraging farmers from embracing sustainability and undermining Ondo State’s compliance with global standards.
Ondo State currently produces about 90,000 metric tonnes of cocoa annually, representing nearly one-third of Nigeria’s total output — a feat largely driven by smallholder farmers. Adegoke warned that the new policy could destroy that legacy.
“If these farmers collapse, Ondo’s proud status as Nigeria’s leading cocoa state will fade. You cannot build a future in agriculture by breaking the backbone of those who sustain it,” he said.
CFAN, according to Adegoke, is not opposing regulation but urging compassion and dialogue. The association called on Governor Aiyedatiwa to convene a meeting with key stakeholders, including CFAN, the Ministries of Agriculture and Forestry, and community leaders,
drastically reduce the charges to reflect current economic realities, Ensure equity between smallholders and big investors and Provide mapping subsidies to ease compliance with sustainability rules.
“We know Governor Aiyedatiwa as a listening and compassionate leader,” Adegoke wrote. “We appeal to him to act quickly — to protect farmers, preserve livelihoods, and safeguard Ondo’s cocoa heritage.”
He also commended the Honourable Commissioner for Agriculture and Forestry, Engr. Leye Akinola, for his energy and innovation, urging him to ensure that “every good policy retains a human face.”
In a deeply emotional close, Adegoke implored the Governor not to allow the suffering of farmers to stain the legacy of his administration.
“Do not let the tears of farmers water the soil of our cocoa heritage,” he appealed. “Let history remember you as the Governor who gave hope when hlope was fading.”
The open letter, copied to senior government officials and farmer associations, reaffirmed the farmers’ commitment to working with the state to build a sustainable, traceable, and globally competitive cocoa economy.
“We remain committed to the development of Nigeria’s cocoa economy for the greater glory of our fatherland,” the statement concluded.
Would you like me to make a headline and subhead package (as in for front-page or web edition) — something like:
“Ondo Cocoa Farmers in Distress Over ₦250,000 Levy”
CFAN appeals to Governor Aiyedatiwa: ‘Don’t let our toil turn to tears’