Kogi State Commodity Exchange Export Promotion and Marketing Development Agency (KOSCEPA) says 15 million hybrid cashew trees would be planted in the next three years to replace aged ones, targeting five million farmers.
Speaking with newsmen on the impact the recent Vietnam Cashew Association VINACAS, Golden Cashew Rendezvous 2025 and how it will impact positively on cashew farmers in Kogi state, Chief Consultant of KOSCEPA, Dr. Jude Osilama, said the state government plans to achieve 150,000 metric tonnes of cashew production by 2027, as part of Governor Usman Ododo’s agricultural transformation agenda.
According to Osilama, Kogi State cashew was recognized as a top and global brand of cashew based on global research and rating, therefore, making it a highly sought after specie of cashew in Vietnam which is the largest cashew-processing country in the world.
He noted that KOSCEPA, established through legislation signed by Governor Ododo, is mandated to empower farmers with financial assistance, training, and market access, while boosting job creation and internally generated revenue.
He also revealed that discussions are ongoing with Vietnamese investors and machinery manufacturers, including Vietnam Machine Company, to set up cashew processing plants in Kogi by early next year.
“They have confirmed readiness to install processing plants that will export finished cashew products directly to the US, Germany, Japan, the UAE, and other global markets,” Osilama said.
Meanwhile, the National President, National Cashew Association of Nigeria, NCAN, Dr Ojo Ajanaku, hailed Governor Usman Ododo for taking a bold step to establish the Kogi State Commodity Exchange Export Promotion and Marketing Development Agency (KOSCEPA) to change the narrative in Kogi agric space.
Ajanaku also called on other governors to emulate the bold step of Ododo by creating similar agency to seamlessly drive agriculture and agribusiness to boost non-oil exports, create wealth, jobs for youths, and better the lives of farmers.
“The National Cashew Association of Nigeria is in full collaboration and support with the Governor Usman Ododo for establishing KOSCEPA, and we are using this moment to say, Mr. Governor, we thank you very much for taking this decisive initiative, which is the best thing that has happened to Kogi State cashew industry.
“This is going to be a way of guaranteeing our farmers productivity and not selling at a loss, also this is going to protect our farmers from harvesting prematurely, because they now that the state government is interested in them, our farmers can take time to wait for the crop to reach maturity and harvesting.
“With the recent Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, signed with the Vietnam Cashew Association, VINACAS on boosting cashew production and processing, Kogi State cashew industry will assume a new dimension.
“The Director General, KOSCEPA, Hon Victor Omofaiye was in Vietnam, and he witnessed all the events that happened there, he witnessed the MoU signing, and a copy of the MoU was also given to him, and part of the framework that we are going to be discussing is how to strengthen Kogi cashew production and processing capacity”, he added.
