Worried by the snail pace of progression of the cocoa industry in Adamawa State, a paramount ruler in Ganye, Alhaji Umaru Sanda, has expressed concern over the lack of market outlet for cocoa farmers in his area.
Sanda, in an interview with newsmen in Ganye town over the weekend, said the situation had affected the fortunes of farmers, resulting in a decline in the production of the commodity in the area.
He stated that farmers had complained to him about the loss currently being incurred as a result of lack of market outlet for their produce.
According to Sanda, Cocoa is being produced in Ganye Chiefdom, comprising of Ganye, Toungo and Jada Local Government areas of Adamawa State-one of the cocoa producing States in the Country.
He recalled that under the Federal Government’s National Cocoa Production Programme, a project centre was established in Toungo and farmers were given Cocoa seedlings for production. The Federal Government’s cocoa farm project had been abandoned for several years, he lamented.
“Some years back, our farmers were given Cocoa seedlings and they produced the commodity in commercial quantity. But due to poor market outlet, majority of them have been forced to abandon Cocoa farming.
“I am therefore calling on the appropriate authorities, to find lasting solution to encourage Cocoa farmers in the State produce more.” he appealed.
Sanda, stressed that with the global oil market in turmoil and the subsequent fall in revenue earnings from oil, there was the need for government to fall back to agriculture.
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