Plans to establish the largest cocoa plantation in Africa have been concluded by the Ondo State Government.
Ondo is Nigeria’s largest cocoa producing state.
The state government announced this through the Agriculture Commissioner, Mr Gboyega Adefarati, confirming that the massive plantation would sit on 2,000 hectares of cocoa plantation at Ijugbere, in Owo Local Government area.
Adefarati who made the disclosure in a statement, said that it was a deliberate plan to further grow the cocoa industry in the state and boost the fortunes of the cash crop.
In the statement signed by the ministry’s spokesman, Mr Bolu Ajijo, Adefarati said that government had embarked on giving free cocoa seedlings to farmers so that the state could regain its lost glory in cocoa production and for the farmers to understand the premium it placed on Agriculture.
It said that this had led to the expansion of farm settlements, improvement in farmers’ yields and re-positioning of Ondo as the number one cocoa producing state in Nigeria.
According to the statement: “The present administration commenced free distribution of improved cocoa seedlings across the state in 2018, with over 400,000 seedlings and it has distributed over 250,000 cocoa seedlings and thousands of oil palm, coconut and kolanut seedlings this year”.
It expressed the state government’s commitment to boosting agricultural activities and encouraging youths to embrace Agriculture.
It added that government had also commenced replacing old cocoa trees, with long gestation period, with improved seedlings.
Adefarati commended the state government for giving the moribund agricultural sector in the state a facelift.
Moreover, he said that rehabilitation is already ongoing at the Sunshine Fisheries Farm, which had been abandoned for more than 11 years. The farm an annual production capacity of five million juveniles, .
Besides, he said that farmers registration is ongoing in government reserves and farm settlements across the state to ensure wholesome agricultural practices and guide against encroachments.
Aside enabling the state to have near accurate data of farmers in government reserves, the Commissioner said that the exercise would also increase revenue generation from the farm settlements.
