Cocoa Price Crash Hits Kurmi As Council Pushes For Diversification

The recent drop in global cocoa prices has begun to take a toll on Kurmi local government area of Taraba State, prompting authorities to intensify efforts to diversify the local economy and enforce stricter controls on illegal mining.

Chairman of the council, Mr Moses Maihankeli, said cocoa – one of the area’s main economic drivers – has suffered a sharp price decline due to increased global supply, particularly following production recovery in neighbouring countries such as Ghana and Togo.

He noted that the commodity, which previously sold for about N1 million per bag, now goes for approximately N500,000, significantly affecting farmers’ incomes in the predominantly agrarian community.

“About 70 per cent of our people are farmers, and cocoa remains a major economic activity in Kurmi, which is the highest producer in the northern sub-region.

“However, with the current price situation, we are encouraging farmers to diversify into crops like