By Our Reporter
The Special Adviser to Governor Ben Ayade on Cocoa Development and Control, Dr Oscar Ofuka, has invited more farmers to key into cultivation of cocoa, saying the Governor was revolutionizing the sub sector and creating millionaires out of Cross River youths.
He said this during the flag off of the 2022 harvest and distribution of improved varieties of cocoa from the model farm in Cross River Broadcasting Corporation, Calabar, to farmers, particularly those from the southern senatorial district of the State.
Speaking while donating cocoa pods to the Munene of the Efut kingdom, HRM Maurice Okon Eyo 1 and members of the Efut Combined Assembly, Dr Ofuka said apart from cocoa doing well in the central senatorial district, the crop was also thriving massively in the south as such more farmers should make use of the opportunity.
The Special Adviser explained that Gov Ayade decided to revolutionise the cocoa sub sector from the inception of his administration in 2015.
“When His Excellency took over, he noticed that government cocoa plantation had become moribund, having been planted over 50 years ago. The Governor appointed and asked me to drive the process
“He felt we should go into aggressive and massive cocoa development and place the crop as number one. That explains the establishment of the ultra modern Cocoa Processing factory in Ikom.
“My focus was to rehabilitate and rejuvenate the moribund cocoa estates in Etung local government area. We have successfully done that.
“After that, we decided to turn our focus to the Southern Senatorial district as such we conducted an experiment down here, and our experiment indicated that the South is better placed to produce cocoa than any other part of the state due to its good weather and soil texture.
“In the southern senatorial district, we have established cocoa plantations in Akim Osomba and Efumkpa in Akamkpa local government area, Ifiang in Bakassi and this CRBC Model Farm right here in the heart of Calabar city.
“In this model farm, we planted improved varieties which has gestation period of 18 months and as everyone could witness, the havest is awesome.
“Young people from the South can plant cocoa and become millionaires too. The soil is good for cultivation. I charge every Cross Riverian to forget oil, get into cocoa cultivation and within few years, you will be surprised at what you would get,” he stated.
In his remarks , the traditional ruler of the Efut kingdom in Cross River, HRM Munene Maurice Okon Eyo I, said the ability of Governor Ben Ayade to rapidly revolutionise cocoa industry in the State within just seven years, was adding meaning to the lives of Cross River State people.
HRM Eyo said: “let me thank His Excellency, Gov Ben Ayade, for his agro-industrial policy that has seen a great revolution particularly in cocoa production.
“Let me also thank the Special Adviser on Cocoa Development and Control, Dr Ofuka for the wonderful work he is doing. I call him Mr Cocoa because he thinks, breath and dreams cocoa all the time. That is why we are seeing these exploits. I advise the next administration not to look elsewhere as far as this cocoa matter is concern. Dr Ofuka is the perfect man for the job.
“What I am seeing here today is indeed commendable. Since they say we do not have oil, cocoa has become our own oil. In the next few years, I believe that it would become the mainstay of Cross River economy.
“I encourage our people to go into the business en-mass. The Governor has opened our eyes and we are grabbing this opportunity with everything we have.”
