From CHARLES ONYEKWERE
Enugu State government has concluded plans to actualise its initiative of being a net exporter of cocoa and its value-chain derivatives, even as it developed a pilot plantation of 20 hectares.
The move is meant to push Governor Peter Mbah’s Cocoa Initiative meant to make Enugu State a net exporter of cocoa and other international cash crops within a few years, in order to grow the state’s Gross Domestic Product, GDP, from $4 billion to $30 billion.
Commissioner for Agriculture and Agro-Industrialisation, Mr Patrick Ubru told newsmen yesterday in Enugu that the pilot plantation of 20 hectares is located in Nkanu East Local Government Area.
“In line with Governor Mbah’s vision, the Ministry of Agriculture and Agro-Industrialisation is in partnership with a private investor, WhiteRabbit Agro Limited, to develop the governor’s Cocoa Initiative and make the state a mass cocoa producer and processor.
“The state ministry would also push to spread the initiative to five other local government areas surrounding Nkanu East due to their similarities in topography and soil type.
“We are reaching out to local government areas within that topography and soil type such as Nkanu West, Isi-Uzo, Oji-River, Aninri and Awgwu to at least do a pilot of 100 hectares cocoa plantation each.
“We are pursuing it with the vigour it deserves and we want to encourage our farmers to take to cocoa farming and have large cocoa plantations of their own,” he said.
The commissioner added that WhiteRabbit Agro Limited is already developing 100,000 high yielding and early producing cocoa variety obtained from Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria, CRIN, Ibadan.
“One tonne of cocoa today in the international market goes for $10,500; in naira value it is about N16.3 million.
“Mbah gave a mandate to the ministry when we came on board to develop cocoa farming and we are doing it and collaborating with all stakeholders,” he said.
Ubru noted that there is ongoing work at the cargo section of Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, and when completed, it would get the state ready for the export of quality, organic and fresh farm produce to any international destination.
