Taraba govt to establish 4 cocoa levelling centres

Governor Darius Ishaku has said that the state government will establish four levelling centres for cocoa produce in the state.

He told a gathering of communities, including cocoa farmers, in Ashuku town, Kurmi Local Government Area that the centres would  be established in Baissa, Abong,Takum and Ussa.

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Ishaku, explained that the idea behind the establishment of the centres was to stop middle men purchasing cocoa in the state and taking it to other states and labelled as products of such states.

He said cocoa is being cultivated in  Kurmi, Donga, Takum and Ussa  Local Government Areas.

He said, however, Kurmi Local Government Area has the highest number of farmers who engaged in cocoa production.

Ishaku  stated that effort would be made by his administration to encourage more farmers in the four areas to engage in  commercial farming of the product.

He said the state would secure a good market for cocoa farmers to enable them get value for their produce.

“I want many farmers to become millionaires and therefore we would create the enabling environment for cocoa farmers to get value for their produce” he said.

Ishaku also disclosed that the state government would provide cocoa seedlings to farmers as part of its effort to make the state a cocoa producing state.

A farmer, Mr Bulus Galadima  told North East Trust that they have been cultivating cocoa in the area since 1954.

He said there were more than 150 cocoa farmers in the community and in the past they used to source cocoa seedlings from Ibadan in Oyo state.

According to him, the commodity is in high demand by middle men who come from South West and South East.