Cross River Develops 3.5 Million Oil Palm Seedlings Nurseries 

The government of Cross River State, South-South, Nigeria has developed 3.5 million seedlings nurseries across 13 locations within the state in determination to increase its oil palm production.

The Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Mr. Erasmus Ekpang disclosed to journalists at the end of the 19th Executive Council meeting that the governor, Senator Bassey Otu in a special address had listed the achievements of his Peoples’ First Administration in the last seven months.

Ekpang said that on the assumption of office, “the governor had embarked on an aggressive drive to reduce fiscal wastage and subsidize productivity in a manner that would foster long-term prosperity.”

According to him, the government had made tremendous roads into the agricultural sector, noting “this administration had commenced soil survey and fertility mapping of Cross River State.”

Others, he noted, included “aggresive elevation of the state oil palm production status with the development of 3.5 million oil palm seedlings nurseries in 13 designated locations across the state. 

“This administration also commenced the single largest agricultural productivity reform with the launch of the transparent  and digitally managed ₦30 billion commercial agric development fund called ‘Project Grow’,” he said.

Speaking further the commissioner hinted, “to promote all year-round agricultural production, the administration approved the Cross River State -Wide Irrigation Infrastructure Development Project (SWIID) and to attract investment in the cassava sub -sector, the state has developed a Cassava Value Chain Development Policy framework to public private partnerships due to be launched soon.”

“within the period under review, government approved and commenced the extension of the current Small Holder Cocoa Development Scheme to include development of cocoa estate in Akamkpa, Akpabuyo, Odukpani, Ikom, Obubra and Bekwara local government areas in PHASE 1, while regeneration of existing ones are on-going.”

He added that the Bassey Otu led administration had equally commenced the Home Stead Farming Project to mitigate food insecurity and resultant high cost.

Shakirat Sadiq