Calabar: Cross River State Government has announced a strategic initiative to distribute one million high-yielding Arabica and Robusta coffee seedlings to farmers at a subsidised rate of N1,000 per seedling.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Mr. Johnson Ebokpo, the Commissioner for Agriculture and Irrigation Development, disclosed this plan during a press briefing at the Ministry of Agriculture in Calabar. The initiative is part of an effort to introduce coffee as a significant economic crop in the state, complementing existing cash crops like cocoa and wheat.
The state has entered into a partnership with French Coffee Firm, JR Farms, to enhance the coffee value chain. The initiative aims to provide farmers access to superior quality, high-yielding seedlings, thereby offering an alternative income source during the off-peak season. Additionally, the program is expected to aid the state in earning foreign exchange and generating employment opportunities.
An allocation model considering elevation, climate, and soil quality has been established to ensure fair distribution of the seedlings across all 18 local government areas. Arabica species are suited for highland regions, while Robusta thrives in lowland areas. To facilitate this process, 56 enumerators are undergoing training to profile potential farmers and organize them into cooperatives.
The enumeration exercise is scheduled to run from May 26 to June 9, involving a door-to-door profiling effort. Mr. Ebokpo urged political stakeholders, religious groups, and civil society organizations to encourage local farmers to seize this opportunity to get enumerated and purchase the subsidised hybrid coffee seedlings.