Deputy governor of Abia State, Ikechukwu Emetu has announced that the administration would establish a cocoa processing and chocolate producing firm in the state in line with its job creation agenda.
Emetu stated this at a meeting with the state Cocoa Transformation Committee and major stakeholders in cocoa agro-business in the state at Government House, Umuahia, the state capital.
“This is achievable because we do not only produce high quality cocoa beans but have resolved to turn around the fortunes of the state by training and mobilising the farmers,” he noted.
“We would take advantage of the over 8,000 cocoa farmers and distribution of over 10,000 new improved cocoa seedlings to them to achieve our desire to push the state to the forefront of cocoa production in the country.”
He assured that as part of efforts to realise the objective, the administration would approach the Cocoa Institute of Nigeria, and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture to procure cocoa seedlings for the farmers at subsidised price.
Speaking, the permanent secretary of the state ministry of agriculture, Okey Ihedioha, said as the 8th largest cocoa producer in the country, the state would realise the dream if the farmers are adequately supported.
He explained that the state has a large cocoa plantation in Agbozu Uzuakoli and cocoa belts in Itumbuzor, and Ibere in Bende and Ikwuano local governments of the state respectively.
