The Cross River State Government is set to boost coffee farming in the state by distributing 1 million high-yielding Araban and Robusta coffee species to farmers at a subsidized rate of N1,000 per seedling.
The Commissioner for Agriculture and Irrigation Development, Mr Johnson Ebokpo, announced this initiative during a press briefing on Monday in Calabar.
He said that the state has partnered with a French coffee firm, JR Farms, to develop and strengthen the coffee value chain.
Ebokpo highlighted the benefits of the initiative, including providing farmers with access to high-quality seedlings, creating jobs, and generating foreign exchange for the state.
“This initiative will provide farmers with an opportunity to earn alternative income during the off-peak season,” he said.
An allocation model has been developed to ensure equitable distribution of the seedlings across the 18 local government areas of the state considering factors like elevation, climate, and soil quality.
The Arabica species will thrive in highland areas, while Robusta will do well in lowlands.
A team of 56 enumerators is being trained to profile prospective farmers and organise them into cooperatives.
The enumeration exercise would take place between May 26 and June 9, and the enumerators would conduct a door-to-door profiling exercise.
The commissioner appealed to stakeholders, including politicians, religious leaders, and civil society organisations, to mobilise local farmers to take advantage of the opportunity to get enumerated and purchase subsidised hybrid coffee seedlings.
