Cocoa farm rehabilitation through a centralized nursery

Many cocoa trees in Nigeria are aging and unproductive because some cocoa farms are filled with more than 50 year old cocoa trees. The reason for this is that farmers oftentimes lack the suitable inputs and finance to invest into planting new trees to regenerate their farms.

This is why Tulip Cocoa Processing Ltd. (TCP) has created a central nursery system where cocoa seedlings are planted and later distributed to farmers. Within the first half of 2023, a total of over 50,000 hybrid cocoa seedlings have been planted at the central nursery site.

Before, TCP was operating in a decentralized community nursery system. After an evaluation of the impacts, outcomes, and output of the community nursery system, TCP decided to discontinue the old community nursery system and introduce the central nursery system to invoke more efficiency in terms of equitable distribution of cocoa seedlings amongst farmers.

Boosting cocoa farmer incomes through tomato production 

Tulip Cocoa Processing Ltd. in an Africa Cocoa Fund (AFC) sponsored project, embarked on an initiative aimed at empowering cocoa farmers. By introducing the tomato demonstration plots alongside cocoa cultivation, farmers' income streams have been encouraged to diversify, while fostering agricultural resilience and improved livelihoods within cocoa-producing communities. 

TCP, in collaboration with Harvestfield limited, established tomato demonstration plots within cocoa farming areas. These plots serve as practical learning centers, allowing farmers to observe, learn, and actively participate in tomato cultivation under the guidance of agricultural experts. The farmers were trained on tomato production and the establishment of the nursery. They were also made to transplant the tomato from the nursery to the demo plots. In the first year, 974 farmers adopted the initiative and lessons learnt. The second year is ongoing currently, and an addition of over 412 farmers have adopted the initiative. 

Adekolurejo Clement, a cocoa farmer with the learnings from the initiative, began cultivating tomatoes. He managed to increase his income and alleviate some of the financial burdens, enabling him to pay for his children's education, healthcare, and overall improved living conditions. 

By introducing tomato cultivation, cocoa farmers gain access to an additional income source. Tomatoes have a quicker growth cycle compared to cocoa trees, leading to more frequent harvests and income generation.