The Cocoa Association of Nigeria has built a multi-million naira guest house in Ikom, Central Cross River, christened ‘Cocoa House,’ to boost the cocoa industry.
The Cocoa House, our reporter learnt, would provide accommodation to businessmen and women who would visit the state when the ultra-modern cocoa processing factory, constructed by the Ayade’s administration, becomes fully operational.
Speaking at the commissioning of the edifice, Wednesday, the chairman of the association in Cross River, Mr. Ejor Obi, said the association was fully prepared to increase production of cocoa in the state thereby impacting the national output.
“We are committed to ensuring that we raise the local production of cocoa, increase its economic prominence and attract greater investment into our farms and by extension economy of the state and that of the nation at large,” the chairman stated.
In his remarks, the national president of the association, M. O. Abolarinwa, urged cocoa farmers in the country not to cut down tall trees that could form canopies in their cocoa farms to avoid the stems being scorched by sunlight and subsequently die off thereby lowering production.
