Cross River is taking a leap into agricultural phase - Ayade

 L-R: Cross River State Governor, Professor
Ben Ayade, receiving a plaque from the (M)
Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG)
Zone 6 Command Calabar, Mr. Abubakar
Marafa, during a courtesy call on the
Governor in Government House Calabar. With
them, (R) the Commissioner of Police, Cross
River State, Mr. Jimoh Omeiza Ozi-Obeh.
As part of efforts to diversify the economy
from over dependence on oil and gas, a
Chinese firm, Wuhan Longfecund Agricultural
Development Company Ltd has indicated
interest to set up a feed mill and maize farm
in Cross River state.
Yongsheng Cao, the chairman of the
company, disclosed this during a courtesy
call on the governor, Ben Ayade at the
Government house, Calabar.
Cao, who spoke through an interpreter said:
“I am happy to be in Calabar and indeed
Nigeria, to set up a feedmill and a maize farm.
Cross River state and China share same
topography and land fit for such production.”
Cross River State Attracts $4
million Investement
Explaining that Wuhan province has the
largest farm and a major maize grower in
China, the chairman maintained that
his preference will be on sweet corn.
He applauded the existing relationship
between Cross River and China, pointing out
that he would invest eight million dollars in
the project before extending to other parts
of the country.
In his response, Governor Ayade who urged
the Chinese firm to swing into action with
the establishment of a maize farm said:
“Cross River state is expanding the horizon in
agriculture and taking a leap into agricultural
phase to ensure a leading direction.

Cross River State Governor, Professor Ben
Ayade, receiving a plaque from the (R)
Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG)
Zone 6 Command Calabar, Mr. Abubakar
Marafa, during a courtesy call on the
Governor in Government House Calabar.
“We don’t come in as traditional farmers but
industrial standard and as the benchmark.”
The governor explained “that government
must focus on maize because other than
producing feeds, one of the particular species
we are going to grow here which is sweet corn
is to provide gluck syrup.
“What you will see here is a true reproduction
of the true history of the natural wealth that
Nigeria has in agriculture as we are going to
have maize for export, sweet corn for salads,
gluck syrup for our industries and the feed
mills to produce feeds for our poultry and
other related products.”
Affirming that parts of Akamkpa, Uyanga,
Obubra and Yala were suitable areas for
maize farming based on soil studies earlier
conducted.
Ayade reasoned that the partnership
between Cross River state government and
the maize centre in China will provide the
state with a first class knowledge, first class
technology, first class farming and first class
mill as all sweet corns used in our salads
were imported.
River Basins Should be
Resuscitated to diversify the economy –
Oduah, Others
The governor who disclosed that the state
has over 21,000 square kilometers of land,
enjoined the firm managers to move to field
immediately as the people of Cross River
expect to see the outcome of their harvest
in six months time.
The efforts of Ben Ayade, the governor of
Cross Rivers state to change the economic
landscape of the state received another
boost on Thursday, August 18, as a Swedish
firm, Greenland Resources, announced plans
to establish a pulp mill that will generate a
total of 1.5 million tones yearly.
Announcing the plans at the governor’s
conference room in Calabar, Torbjorn
Johansson, the leader of the team and
President of the firm, said they needed
degraded land to establish the pulp mill.