Sam Philip
As the planting season approaches, Johnvents Group has successfully distributed over 266,000 cocoa seedlings and 6,000 shade tree seedlings to farmers across 11 cocoa-producing states in Nigeria.
This initiative is part of the Group’s ongoing commitment to sustainability and regenerative agriculture, executed through Project Nourished Crop, Better Farmer, a program designed to rehabilitate, regenerate, and replant cocoa farms to ensure long-term growth and improved productivity.
The primary goal of this year’s distribution is to prepare farmers for the upcoming rainy season, which is critical for the planting and regeneration of cocoa crops.
By ensuring that farmers have the right resources ahead of this key period, Johnvents Group continues to advance its long-term strategy of supporting 150,000 cocoa farmers across 300,000 hectares of farmland by 2030.
The large-scale distribution covered key cocoa-producing regions, including Cross River, Ondo, Osun, Ekiti, Ogun, Akwa Ibom, and Abia States, reaching over 9,000 farmers. Notable distributions included: 61,000 seedlings 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.
According to Ebenezer Kehinde, Sustainability Country Lead, “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 toward 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.