Adamawa To Join Cocoa Producing States, Soon

The Federal Government has assured that Adamawa would soon become a member of cocoa producing states in the country.

The state Director, Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Dr Walia Hamman, gave the assurance in an interview with newsmen in Yola.

“Government has confirmed that cocoa is being produced in Adamawa in large commercial quantity. “And government has received samples of the commodity to hand them over to the national cocoa consultants for further action,” Hamman said.

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.

“But 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 and Taraba now is on the roll of cocoa producing states in the country,” Hamman added. 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 sensitisation campaign for more farmers in the state to embrace cocoa production for more revenue it would be recalled that in 2011, the state Agricultural Development Project (ADP) reported that Adamawa was among leading states in rice, maize, sugar cane and groundnut production in the country.