FG to increase cocoa production to 500m tons in 2015

A director in the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Dr Archibong Bassey, disclosed this in Calabar at a ceremony where the Cross River State government disbursed N36.2 million loan to cassava farmers in the state.She disclosed also that the federal government will come out with a new scheme that will create at least 390,000 new jobs […]

A director in the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Dr Archibong Bassey, disclosed this in Calabar at a ceremony where the Cross River State government disbursed N36.2 million loan to cassava farmers in the state.
She disclosed also that the federal government will come out with a new scheme that will create at least 390,000 new jobs in the cocoa producing states of Nigeria.
The scheme, she said, will help to transform the rural areas of cocoa communities through provision of basic facilities, adding that apart from the provision of improved seeds and fertiliser, the ministry will also support cocoa farmers with revolving funds, agro-chemicals and extension services among others, so that the envisaged high production would be easily achieved.
Reacting, chairman of Ikom, which is one of the three main cocoa producing local government areas of Cross River State, Ojong Ayiba, said her people who are mostly cocoa farmers are very grateful for the intervention of the federal government.
She stated that the agric sector of the nation’s economy offers limitless potentials for expansion, development and better living.
While expressing the council’s willingness to partner the federal government to boost agriculture, she said the Growth Enhancement Scheme (GES) initiative has improved the living standard of farmers.