More than one hundred thousand cocoa seedlings has been released to revamp the moribund cocoa estates in the southern district of Cross River State, south-south Nigeria.
The Special Adviser to Governor Ben Ayade on Cocoa Control and Development, Dr. Oscar Ofuka, who unveiled the seedlings in Calabar, the state capital, said that unyielding trees would be replaced with the new seedlings.
Improving ranking
Ofuka said that the revival of moribund cocoa plantations across the state is to drive the governor’s policy to make Cross River State and Nigeria rank amongst top producers in Africa and the world.
He said, “the governor, who is my boss is more emphatic about complete renegation of cocoa production. The same cocoa, which was abandoned decades ago when oil was discovered in the country.
“Today, cocoa is the new gold. It is a money spinning venture, which has the potential to make farmers become billionaires,” he stressed.
He further urged young people to take advantage of the opportunity and engage in cocoa farming rather than wait for white collar jobs.
He said, “I urge young and energetic people of Cross River State to venture into cultivation of cocoa if they have the zeal to better themselves.
“With cocoa beans the Ultra-Modern Cocoa Processing Factory constructed by the Ben Ayade’s led administration will not lack the basic raw materials to feed the factory when it becomes fully operational.
“The brand of cocoa seedlings we are raising here is organic; organic cocoa is free of chemical used by some farmers to nurture cocoa pods,” Ofuka said.
According to him, “the variety we are raising is very expensive at the international market. This specie of cocoa begins fruiting after 18 months from what experts had told us is the best in the production of chocolate bars.”
He added that this first phase of seedlings from the demonstration farm in Calabar would be utilized to regenerate the 3,800 hectares of cocoa plantation.
Emmanuel Ukoh
