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The Abia State government says it is poised to increase its production of cocoa, through an effective partnership with those presently farming the crop.
Declaring open a workshop on ‘Increasing the Production of Cocoa for Export in Abia State’ on Tuesday in Umuahia, the governor of Abia State, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu, who was represented by his deputy, Rt Hon Ude Oko Chukwu, said the state government is ready to partner with cocoa farmers towards ensuring increased production.
Rt Hon Chukwu said the Ikpeazu administration will soon distribute 500,000 improved Amazon cocoa seedlings and N50 million worth equipment at 50 percent subsidized rate to cocoa farmers, in a move which is intended to see an aggressive development of the produce.
As the chairman of state cocoa committee, the deputy governor expressed his displeasure with the current ranking of Abia State from fourth to eighth position among cocoa producing states in the country and pledged his readiness to see that the state retakes her former position.
The workshop featured the distribution of improved amazon cocoa seedlings, sprayers, good chemicals for cocoa production, pesticides etc by the state government to cocoa farmers.
The workshop, organized by the Nigeria Export Promotion Council (NEPC), in collaboration with the state government, had the executive director of NEPC, Mr Abdullahi Side-Aliyu, commissioner for Agriculture Rt Hon Uzo Azubuike, commissioner for Industry, Chief Henry Ikoh, commissioner for SMEs, Barr Gab Igboko, permanent secretaries, deputy chief of staff office to the deputy governor, Dr Chris Nwagboso, and many top government officials in attendance.
