Cross River Acquires 10,000 Hectares of Land For CBN Cocoa Project

The Cross River State Government has acquired 10,000 hectares of agro forest in Neghe community in Akamkpa LGA for the expansion of cocoa cultivation under the state/Central Bank of Nigeria Cocoa initiative.

This was disclosed by the Special Adviser to Governor Ben Ayade on Cocoa Development and Control, Dr Oscar Ofuka while on a tour of the cocoa farm at Cross River Broadcasting Corporation.

Speaking about the farm and agriculture generally, Ofuka said, “Agriculture is the mainstay of the economy. We want to commend His Excellency, the Governor of Cross River State, Prof Ben Ayade for being agricultural governor. I think other governors should emulate the governor of Cross River State because he was fast to realise that agriculture alone can solve the problem of Nigeria. But agriculture as you know had been relegated to the background a long time ago.

“It takes a man like Senator Prof Ben Ayade with a vision like what he has to develop, especially the cocoa sector. We just want to believe that his election as governor of Cross River State came at the right time considering the fact that Cross River State was seen and well known as a civil service state. He came in and changed that narrative. Today attention has been fixed on agriculture. I am sure that this is the way that Nigeria should go.

“We have been able to expand cocoa production in Cross River State. Our vision is not only just to expand cocoa production. Our vision is to take over from Cote d’Ivoire and become the world leading producer of cocoa. Over 5,000 youths have been taken off the streets through the cocoa revolution. And of course, we are planting cocoa.

“We want to sustain the cocoa processing factory which is there at Ikom. The real thing about cocoa is in the end product, adding value. With the establishment of the ultra modern cocoa processing factory in Ikom and expansion of cocoa production in Cross River State, I am very sure we are taking over from Cote d’Ivoire and becoming the world leading producer of cocoa.”

Reacting to the 2021 budget proposal which has agriculture as one of the main focus, he said the desire is to hit the target of producing 5,000 metric tons of cocoa from all the cocoa farms across the state.

“When we do this, we will have so much money coming from foreign earnings. Crude oil is no longer there. The oil wells are drying up. So there is need for Nigerians to turn their attention to cocoa production. The budget will encourage massive investment in cocoa and agricultural production. Of course you know when we talk of agriculture, cocoa is just the mainstay. There is rice. There is every other thing there. Of course cocoa is the main thing. Very soon we should be moving from the farm gates to the supermarkets. And of course, we shall be producing chocolate bars in Ikom when the machines start rolling. The cocoa bars we will be producing will be of great quality. We intend to name it ‘Calabar’.”

 Clan Head of Ajassor in Etung LGA of Cross River State, HRH Anthony Ntui Etta II, who was part of the tour, said, “Since I grew up, I never knew that cocoa can be grown in this Calabar. Dr. Oscar Ofuka has shown that cocoa can be grown across the state, even right here in CRBC (Cross River Broadcasting Corporation) environment. I will personally take part in the harvest of the cocoa. Even after the end of the tenure of this administration, Ofuka should be retained to sustain the achievement in the cocoa sector. Before now people depended on white collar jobs. They should return to the forest and plant cocoa to sustain our economy.”