Ekiti State continues to benefit from the $22 million Cocoa Rejuvenation Programme funded by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), having been actively involved in the initiative since 2023.

The State Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Mr. Ebenezer Boluwade, stated in Ado-Ekiti that the programme, implemented through the USDA-funded TRACE Project, has already seen significant groundwork in Ekiti, including the profiling, grouping, and extensive training of cocoa farmers on climate-smart agricultural practices.

According to him, staff of the Ministry have also undergone several trainings and capacity-building sessions to ensure effective delivery of the project’s goals.

The latest phase of the programme, which commenced this week, involves the free distribution of 1,794 hybrid cocoa seedlings—including improved clones such as NT1, RV2, TC8, RV23, NT2, RV22, and RV1—to selected farmers in the state.

Further distributions are scheduled for Ise and Omuo Ekiti, where trained farmers will also receive high-yield hybrid cocoa seedlings and tree seedlings at no cost, as part of efforts to enhance productivity and boost sustainable cocoa farming in the state.

A seed tracker system was deployed during the exercise to ensure transparency, monitor growth, and track performance.

Boluwade emphasized that the TRACE Project is in line with the Biodun Oyebanji-led administration’s 10-year strategic plan to reposition Ekiti as one of Nigeria’s leading cocoa-producing states by 2034. He added that the ongoing support for farmers, including the supply of hybrid and grafted seedlings, will continue through 2027, reinforcing the state’s commitment to agricultural transformation.