“Coco Boys”: Nigerians exchange city for “Brown Gold”
A. Historical ascending at cocoa prices It attracts thousands of young Nigerians, with higher education and experience in other areas, returning to rural areas. They are the protagonists of the new race to “Coco Boys”, “Brown Gold”.
Eyoghe Aqua, created in the Caco region of Ichom, Southeast Nigeria, has not seen a great future in Aqua agriculture. Therefore, he went to the city where he was studying civil engineering and began to work under construction.
Everything changed in 2023, when I realized Cocoa prices They are firing and the farmers of their land are enriching.
“We have seen the 20 -year -year -old -golds that never have to make a lot of money from cocoa cultivation, but there is trouble for those who want for a doctorate” Laundry Have to have Reuters.
“We’re coming back and start creating our own gardens.”
Aqua, 47, part of the newlyweds of the field, mostly called “Coco Boys”, they exchanged urban occupations for agriculture attracted by unexpected profits.
According to Nigeria Coco Producers AssociationIt represents small farmers, The number of members between 2023 and 2024 increased by more than 10,000.
A land for wine and five thousand nukes
In the Ichom in the Cross River bordering the border with Cameroon, most agricultural lands belong to the community. According to tradition, people with roots in this area can get a lot of wine bottle, some food and 5000 noshets (2.5 euros).
Aqua inherited his father to the earth and earned a few more. Cacoiros are planted, whose seeds lead to cocoa and then chocolate.
“Last year, I took four bags. I sold the first of 800,000 nits (about 440 euros), and the rest was between 1.2 million. It was a lot of money,” he said, giving his annual salary as a single cocoa bag civil engineer.
By 2022, the 64kg bag was worth 60,000 nits. By 2024, Aqua had to sell it 1.2 million -20 times more.
Crisis The cost of living in Nigeria
Coco Production Breaking on Ivory Coast and Ghana – Half of the world’s largest exporters in the world, half of the world production – from 2200 euros in 2022 to 00 9700 in December 2024, in December 2024, Coco International Organization said.
This growth is equal to APNigeria’s financial crisis In 30 years, millions of Nigerians have drowned in poverty.
But cocoa manufacturers are relatively protected, making the value of the value of the Naira more profitable.
The sector benefits not only the farmers, but also the intermediaries, so it is called licensed shopping agents (LBA), which are stored and sold to exporters.
48 -Year -ld nwachukwu nwachukwu nwachukwu left the banking sector in 2022 and became LBA.
“In a few years I won all the salaries I received as an LBA banker.”
In Ichom and other production zones, “Coco Boys” is regulating local economies.
“You call me a cocoa boy. Today, a person who talks about Coco is an important person,” said a 41 -year -old Mark Bassi, former medical lab scientist, now in his homeland.
As a child, the mother went to the gardeners So methods are family members. Like Aqua, he wanted to be different from his life and studied science at the university. But the yield is not enough.
“I still want to return to my profession, because I like it, but at the moment I want to dedicate me to agriculture,” said Busse, who had raised the income four times.
Coco smuggling
Nigeria is the fourth largest cocoa producer and 315,000 metric tonnes in 2023, according to ICCO. The Ivory Coast (2.2 million) and Ghana (654 thousand) are far behind.
The flow of new farmers, new fruit cocoa varieties, and seedlings free seedlings should be increased in just 18 months – but it does not reflect the official number.
Research and Strategy Director Rashid Predezee said, “Everyone together, the Nigerian product must be fake already” Nigeria Cocoa Research Institute.
According to him, approximately 200 thousand tonnes are illegally transported from the country annuallyIt helps to explain the negativity.
The Institute has received over half a million requests for new seedlings this year, which is enough for planting 400 thousand hectares, 2024 three times higher than in the same period.
Although the cocoa is good in planting, some people perform previous jobs. Aqua is divided between Plantation and Construction Ship, where it is leading the teams.
“I don’t sleep. I will always call them to find out if they did this.”
But you are attentive. If prices are maintained, it accepts a special dedication to agriculture.
“From what I see, it is possible to turn me into a whole -time cocoa farmer.”
