Boki Cocoa Magic
Boki — Daily Trust explores the growing interest in the cocoa trade in Boki, Cross River State, a town nestling in a quiet corner of the Niger Delta. Long ago Boki was famous for its Banana plantations, its banana farmers and their rich yearly harvest. Its fertile soils conduced for the cultivation of the plant, which grew quickly and there was its banana loving population too, and the many who found jobs each year whenever the harvest drew near. Many of its sons became wealthy from the vast trade, some of which were conveyed to the far north.But now, all this belongs to long ago, and a lot has changed. Cocoa has since risen and replaced Banana as an important cash crop in the town and surrounding areas. There are some challenges in its cultivation, but it can be safely said that cocoa is rising in Boki.Today, unlike the past when the crop was very visible, the banana crop is to be found planted in between cocoa in the many farms in the area. One crop replaces another in a silent non violent contest for power in the farms of Boki. If a history of crops there were to be written, it will be an important narrative detailing the cultivation of cocoa in an unlikely place. This is because people normally associate the cultivation of cocoa with
the South west rather than the South-South. Indeed cocoa injected much life into the economy of the western region during the first republic. Boki then becomes a pleasant shock to the visitor who is visiting the town for the first time. Houses have been built from the proceeds of Cocoa, and children have been given an education, and medical bills have also been paid. Daily Trust was shown a house built from proceeds of the cocoa trade in Boki, and the happy family dwelling therein. There are at least 100 cocoa farmers in the town today. Over a period of time a new class, which often had occasion to flaunt its wealth and status, then began to express itself in the environment.
Cocoa is probably best known today as the raw material for chocolate, which uses approximately 90% of the world’s cocoa production. On average, around 3 million tons of cocoa beans are produced each year. In the second half of
the 1990s, cocoa-producing countries generated an income of more than US$ 3 billion annually from exports of cocoa beans and cocoa-based products. Cocoa is almost exclusively grown in the tropics, mainly on small family and subsistence-level farms. The countries and regions that are blessed with the ideal climatic and environmental conditions for cocoa growing have the
opportunity to generate substantial export earnings from the crop, which can benefit their national economies and rural communities. Nevertheless, too much dependence on cocoa as a source of export revenue can sometimes lead to a country’s national or regional economy becoming unacceptably vulnerable to the risks inherent in cocoa production.
The international market price of cocoa is notoriously volatile. Crops are susceptible to the ravages of disease and extreme weather conditions. The size of the harvest can vary greatly from one year to the next. The physical shipment
of cocoa beans over long distances from numerous smallholdings to the main processing and distribution centres is a complex business – and not without risk. Bulk shipment and storage of cocoa have to be undertaken with extreme
care and consideration for the formidable array of international rules and regulations that surrounds it. To help alleviate some of the price risks for the producer, exporter, importer and processor, a sophisticated system of commodity exchanges exists, with futures
markets and appropriate hedging facilities. This system is concentrated in the major financial centres of London and New York.
Some producing countries manage to process significant quantities of cocoa beans locally into semi-finished or finished products but, for various reasons, it has generally proved more practical and economical for this activity to be performed near to the main consumer markets. Producers therefore tend to look elsewhere for ways of adding value to their cocoa bean exports – to the area
of land planted with cocoa, the selection of tree varieties, the effectiveness of disease and pest control programmes, the average bean quality of the harvest, post-harvest treatment and support services, etc. The overall efficiency with which the cocoa is brought to market can have a significant impact on a producer’s costs and profits.For anyone wanting to succeed in the cocoa business, thorough knowledge and understanding of the distribution chain, market trends and developments, and the special characteristics of trading and the exchanges are essential. This guide describes current trade and industry practices, as well as regulations
that apply to cocoa. It traces customs, systems and techniques used at each stage of the long cocoa supply chain. The appendices contain detailed statistics and selected listings of Internet websites that provide a vast amount of useful information on many aspects of cocoa. Also covered are some of the trends and initiatives emerging today – electronic commerce, organic farming, fair trade, sustainable production and environmental issues – all of which are becoming increasingly relevant to cocoa producers and traders.
The guide is designed to inform, assist and inspire the widely spread and diverse producers of cocoa – as well as to help newcomers to the cocoa trade. Its aim is to make a positive difference to the way the market is supplied and thus to the economies of the countries that produce cocoa and to the people whose livelihoods depend on it.
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