Risks and coping strategies of production and marketing of cocoa in Ondo State, Nigeria

In recent time, yields from cocoa producing states have been decreasing while farmers are faced with a number of challenges that predispose them to risks and uncertainties. The study therefore assessed the major production and marketing risks in Ondo State, Nigeria. The socio-economic characteristics of the cocoa farmers were analysed using descriptive analysis while Kruskal–Wallis ranking analysis was used to assess the farmer’s perception on sources of risks. Ranking on top of the ten identified cocoa production risks was pest and diseases attack while undue exploitation by exporters ranked on top of marketing risks. The major coping strategies adopted by the farmers of the cocoa include diversification of production system by growing substitute crops (47.5 %), and involvement in non-farm business to generate additional income (35.0 %). In other to reduce risks faced by the farmers, government should put in place a marketing scheme aimed at assisting cocoa farmers through price regulation and monitoring. Cocoa farmers also needed to be introduced to the current technologies of production with the provision of necessary incentives such as improved varieties of cocoa seedling, as well as provision of fertiliser and approved pesticides, financial assistance, and simple processing technologies that produce standard cocoa beans.