The government of Cross River on Thursday distributed 100,000 improved cocoa seedlings to farmers in the Southern Senatorial District of the State.
Flagging-off the distribution in Calabar, Prof. Ivara Esu, Deputy Governor of Cross River said the Central Senatorial District of the state has always been known to be the centre of cocoa cultivation in the state.
He said what Dr. Oscar Ofuka, Special Adviser to the Governor on Cocoa Development has done was to prove to everyone that the southern part of the state has one of the most arable land in the state suitable for cocoa farming.
Represented by Mr Asuquo Ekpenyong Southern Senatorial Candidate of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Esu encouraged the people of the southern part of the state to go into cocoa farming, build capacity and even export.
“We have always known cocoa to thrive in the central to the north from Ikom, Etung, Boki down to Obudu Local Government Areas
“But today the SA to the governor has proven that cocoa can be cultivated in the south even in Calabar Municipality that is urban, imagine how well it would thrive in rural settings in the senatorial districts.
“We must encourage the people of the southern senatorial district especially the youths to go into cocoa farming, build capacity and make themselves green millionaires,” he noted.
Similarly, His Royal Majesty, Morris Eyo, President Calabar South Traditional Rulers Council said it was a thing of joy that the cocoa development programme has been brought to the Southern Senatorial District.
While thanking Gov. Ben Ayade for his industrialisation drive in the state, he appealed to whoever takes over as governor come 2023 to continue in the good work of the governor in the industrialisation of Cross River.
On his part Ofuka, noted that cocoa like other cash crops funded Nigeria after the independence until oil was discovered and the nation left agriculture.
He said today, the state has a governor who believes in agriculture and who is trying hard to diversify the economy with much emphasis on cocoa.
“After enhancing cocoa cultivation in the Central and Northern Senatorial District, we have beam our searchlight to the south that has a very friendly climate and soil that is even better than other parts of the state.
“Cocoa is the new gold in Cross River, I challenge the people of the Southern Senatorial District to take up the cultivation of cocoa.
“The time has come for us not to rely on earnings from the federation account, in fact cocoa should be treated as Cross River’s new oil well.
“The criteria for getting the seedlings is owning a farm and having a passion for cocoa cultivation, we do not want people that will just take the seedlings and dump them somewhere without care,” he maintained.
