C'River Govt. To Initiate PPP With Investors To Unlock Potentials of Cassava Industry.
Hannah ARIKPO
The Cross River State Government has expressed willingness to enable a public, private partnership ( PPP) with local and International, commodity associations, processors and exporters to unlock the abundant potentials prevalent in the cassava Industry.
The Cross River State Governor, Senator Bassey Otu, made the Commitment while declaring open a Stakeholders Consultative Forum on the development of a draft policy for cassava value chain in Calabar.
Governor Otu who was represented by the Secretary to the state government, Prof. Anthony Owan Eno, acknowledged the significance of developing a policy thrust for cassava inview of it's multifaceted application and called for more comprehensive strategic policies to maximize it's potentials.
He pointed out that the landscape of the state favours the cultivation of the cassava crop and pledged to make available hundreds of thousands of hectares of land for the development of Cassava to ensure food security and processing.
"At the heart of this initiative is the " people first "mantra, recognizing that we must engage the broader Community of our stakeholders including farmers, processors, researchers and industry players who have valuable insights that will shape our policy. The forum will provide a platform for open dialogue where we will gather feedback, suggestions and local knowledge to make our cassava sector stronger and more inclusive", Gov Otu stated.
Earlier, the host Commissioner for Agriculture and irrigation development in the state, Hon. Johnson Ebokpo jr. explained that the drafting of the cassava policy is the beginning of a journey which will harness the transformational power of cassava from the urban centers to the rural areas of the state.
According to him, the policy when drafted will create a framework that reflects the state Governor's vision, align with international best practices and promote innovations and sustainability in the cassava sector.
"Cassava as a crop deeply embedded in the cultural and economic fabric of the state, holds incredible potentials. It is a crop that sustains our Communities, offers livelihoods to our farmers and has a wide range of industrial applications with proper policies and collective efforts cassava can transform our state into an agricultural powerhouse, creating jobs, enhancing food security and boosting our economy", Ebokpo assured.
In a goodwill message, the wife of the Gov. Rev. Eyoanwan Otu, represented by her SSA on NGOs, Dr. Inyang Asibong pledged her commitment towards the implementation of some parts of the policy as it concerns women in the state.
" I commend the initiators of this Agric stakeholders forum as it is geared towards achieving the present administrations cardinal goals, I am interested in the development of Cross River women farmers and will ensure they benefit when the policy becomes operational",: Eyoanwan pledged.
A policy consultant for Cross River ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation Development, Prof. Susan identified Cassava as a foreign revenue earner for the state and country inview of its numerous products and byproducts.
" The products of cassava are vital raw materials in livestock feeds, alcohol or ethanol, textile, confectionary, wood, food and soft drinks industries, traceable in the international market", Susan disclosed.
At separate interviews, the state Chairman of the cassava growers association, Ven. Augustine Oqua, and Dr. Fidelis OBO KSM. a stakeholder described the formulation of a Cassava policy as a welcome development..
