By Dayo Johnson

A leading indigenous agribusiness and manufacturing group, Johnvents Group, has distributed over 266,000 cocoa seedlings and 6000 shade tree seedlings to farmers in 11 cocoa-producing states of the federation.

Ebenezer Kehinde, Sustainability Country Lead, said that the initiative was part of the Group’s ongoing commitment to sustainability and regenerative agriculture, executed through Project Nourished Crop, Better Farmer, a programme designed to rehabilitate, regenerate, and replant cocoa farms to ensure long-term growth and improved productivity.

Kehinde explained that the primary goal of the distribution is to prepare farmers for the upcoming rainy season, which is critical for the planting and regeneration of cocoa crops.

He adde that in effort to ensure that farmers have the right resources ahead of this key period, “Johnvents Group continued to advance its long-term strategy of supporting 150,000 cocoa farmers across 300,000 hectares of farmland by 2030.

“The beneficiary farmers, who are more than 9000, are from key cocoa-producing regions, including Cross River, Ondo, Osun, Ekiti, Ogun, Akwa Ibom, and Abia states.

Giving the breakdown of the distributions, Kehinde said that ” 61,000 seedlings were distributed in Ikom, Cross River, 50,000 seedlings in both Idanre and Oda, Ondo State, 20,000 seedlings in Owo and 10,000 seedlings in Ile-Oluji, Ondo State, 5,000 seedlings in Ila, Osun State, 15,000 seedlings each in Ekiti and Ogun States, and 20,000 seedlings in Ife, 10,000 seedlings in Akwa Ibom and Abia states.

“This initiative is part of our yearly commitment to the farming communities. As we approach the rainy season, it’s crucial that our farmers are fully equipped.

“This seedling distribution provides them with the essential tools, including seedlings, farm seeds, and sustainable farming practices, to help boost their productivity for the season ahead.

“This distribution is a vital step towards advancing Johnvents Group’s objectives of regenerative farming, with an emphasis on both cocoa and shade trees.

“By introducing shade trees alongside cocoa plants, Johnvents is fostering an environment where farmers can increase their yields while maintaining a sustainable and eco-friendly approach to farming.

“These efforts play an integral role in enhancing food security, improving farmer livelihoods, and contributing to the overall growth of the global cocoa industry.

“As part of its long-term sustainability vision, Johnvents Group will continue expanding its efforts with additional seedling distributions planned in the coming months.

“Through collaborative partnerships with farmers and industry stakeholders, Johnvents remains dedicated to driving lasting change in the cocoa sector and strengthening the foundation for a globally competitive agricultural value chain.”

Johnvents Group has been at the intersection of everything agriculture, unlocking immense values and ensuring food supply and premium export value for Africa.

It’s committed to driving sustainable growth across the agricultural value chain, including production, processing, manufacturing and trade of commodity and food products in Nigeria and the rest of the world.