Nigeria · Ondo / Cross River / Osun / Ekiti and other southwestern states
reviewed
Amelonadoadmixture
A long-established West African producer, ranking among the world's top cacao-growing countries, whose smallholder crop is concentrated in the southwestern states and exported largely as bulk beans, with Ondo State the leading producer.
Country
Nigeria
Region
Ondo / Cross River / Osun / Ekiti and other southwestern states
Growing region
Africa
Coordinates
7.00°, 5.20° (approx.)
Elevation
100-500 m
Producer
regional
Genetic groups
Amelonado, admixture
Traditional class
Forastero
Also known as
Nigerian bulk
Bean notes
Mainly Amelonado-derived smallholder material with widespread Upper-Amazon hybrid plantings; cotyledons typically dark purple.
Harvest season
main Sep-Jan; light crop Apr-Jun
Fermentation
Smallholder heap fermentation, around 5-6 days.
Drying
Sun-dried on mats and concrete floors.
Flavour
robust cocoa · earthy · woody · low acidity
Updated
2026-05-22
Sources
Motamayor et al. 2008, PLoS ONE 3(10):e3311 (genetic clusters)
ICCO Quarterly Bulletin of Cocoa Statistics — production data
Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria (CRIN) — sector documentation