Adamawa, FG to revive cocoa farming –official

The Adamawa Government, in collaboration with the Federal Government, initiated plans to revive cocoa farming in the state.

Mr Umar Daware, Commissioner for Agriculture, revealed this in an interview with the Nigerian News Agency (NAN), in Yola on Tuesday.

Daware said the state government had prepared to resurrect and fully participate in cocoa farming.

“Cocoa is one of the cash crops that the federal government has prioritized and fortunately the southern parts of the state, especially the Ganye and Toungo local government areas, have fertile land suitable for cocoa cultivation.

“We are in collaboration with the Federal Government and the Central Bank of Nigeria on how to revive cocoa cultivation in the state.

“So far, we have identified and allocated enough hectares of farmland for cocoa cultivation in the state,” he said.

Daware said that the Federal Government had established a national cocoa production centre in Toungo which, however, currently needed urgent attention from the competent authority.

He said the state government had identified the cocoa farmers and was working closely with them to speed up the successful revival of the program.

“We are also in contact with Apex Bank who have expressed interest in providing some interventions to get the program off the ground,” he said.

According to him, the state government has been making efforts in planning and collaborations on the program, adding that as soon as the modalities are completed, cocoa cultivation will start on a full scale in the state.