Agency reports
Gov. Ben Ayade of Cross River says increased production of cocoa will improve revenue generation in the country.
Ayade stated this on Wednesday at the inauguration of Cocoa House in Ikom, the commercial city of the state.
Represented by Mr Alphonsu Ogar, State Chairman, All Progressives Congress (APC), Ayade said that Nigeria needed to seek alternative sources of revenue.
He said that with the dwindling fortune of crude oil, cocoa was an available revenue lifeline for the nation
The governor stated that agriculture was the mainstay of the nation’s economy before the discovery and exploration of oil.
”We are aware that the agriculture sector can strongly support the economy, that is the reason the governnment is investing in cocoa production.
“The inauguration of the Cocoa House is a testimony of our belief in the economic power of agriculture,” he said.
In his remark, Mr Ejor Obi, Chairman, Cocoa Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Cross River, expressed the association’s commitment to support increased cocoa production in the state.
“We shall support efforts to improve the local cocoa production in the state. We are aware of its economic value and benefits,” he said.