By Samuel
As part of its efforts to rejig the cocoa sub-sector, the Cross River State Government has said it is set to commission its cocoa processing factory in Ikom Local Government Area of the state.
The cocoa plant, the first of its kind in West Africa, recently received equipment for its test running, according to governor of the state, Ben Ayade.
The plant is expected to process 500,000 tonnes of cocoa beans from the state and neighbouring West African countries including Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea for export.
This is in addition to the 240 tonnes of cocoa daily, which will be turned into liquor and chocolate bars for export to Europe and China.
“This cocoa processing plant is one bold sign that indeed Cross River State is ready to lead Africa into an industrial revolution
“It is my commitment that I’m going to make young Cross Riverians green millionaires. Green that they are fresh, green that it is agriculture-based
“Goodbye to those days you used to dry cocoa on tarred roads; goodbye to those days when the flavour of our cocoa was lost due to wrong cleaning and wrong processing.
“Today, we have an ultramodern 21st Century latest technology in processing of cocoa,” Ayade said.
This development is coming on the heels of the state government’s plan to revamp its moribund cocoa estates by transplanting 10 million cocoa seedlings.
The government also plans to attract investment in the state’s agriculture projects, such as the state’s new fertiliser plant and the Ogoja rice crowd-funding platform.