JNCC 2024: Minister Kobenan Kouassi Adjoumani Presents Achievements and Challenges in the Cocoa Sector

Kobenan Kouassi Adjoumani, the Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development, and Food Production, presented the achievements and challenges related to the development of the cocoa sector during the 9th edition of the National Cocoa and Chocolate Day (JNCC) held on September 28, 2024, in Abidjan.

In terms of achievements, Minister Adjoumani highlighted the guarantee of a decent income for cocoa producers. He expressed satisfaction that the President of the Republic, in collaboration with his Ghanaian counterpart, has committed to creating a strong organization under the Côte d'Ivoire–Ghana Cocoa Initiative to influence the global cocoa trade.

He also emphasized the importance of maintaining the cocoa production environment through the preservation of forest resources to ensure a sustainable future for cocoa production. "We can no longer produce cocoa at the expense of our forests. This is a strong commitment from the President, and our country aims to restore 3 million hectares of degraded land by 2030," he stressed.

Additionally, the promotion of local processing and domestic consumption was discussed. The ambition is to transform Côte d'Ivoire into an industrialized nation by 2030, focusing on processing most raw materials, particularly those from agriculture.

Regarding the challenges that need to be addressed to continue the development momentum in the cocoa sector, the Minister mentioned the empowerment of female producers and the need for a new generation of modern cocoa farmers.