The Federal Government announced on Tuesday announced that Adamawa would soon become a member of cocoa producing states in the country. The state Director, Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Dr Walia Hamman, dropped the hint during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Yola.
"Government has confirmed that cocoa is being produced in Adamawa in large commercial quantity. The government has received samples of the commodity to hand them over to the national cocoa consultants for further action," Hamman said.
NAN reports that the development came just few days after the inauguration of a 13-man agricultural policy and implementation working committee to enhance farming in the state by Gov. Murtala Nyako. Hamman said that about 150 cocoa farmers had been identified in the Southern part of the state.
The director explained that the national Cocoa Value Chain programme designed to improve cocoa production had initially excluded Adamawa. The programme was introduced last year by the Federal Government in some cocoa producing states to boost the production of the crop.
He said, "With the recent development, Federal Government's investigation revealed that cocoa is being produced very well and in large commercial quantity in Adamawa, because the climate in southern part of the state is suitable for Cocoa production.
"Just like neighbouring Taraba, where cocoa is also being produced in three local government areas, Adamawa is now on the roll of cocoa producing states in the country,"
He explained that Adamawa was initially excluded because the state was not recognised as a cocoa producer, but with the recent development had confirmed otherwise. He said that government had began mass sensitization campaign for more farmers in the state to embrace cocoa production for more revenue income. NAN also recalls that in 2011, the state Agricultural Development Project reported that Adamawa was among leading states in rice, maize, sugar cane and groundnut production in the country.
