By Ehigimetor Igbaugba

The A A Universal Agro Company says Nigeria can earn N900 billion ($600m) annually from the Ikom Cocoa Export Processing Plant in Cross River when it becomes fully operational.

The Managing Director of the agro company, Mr Chris Agara, made the disclosure in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Calabar.

Agara, whose firm was the concessionaire of the cocoa processing plant, said he was in partnership with an Israeli company B and Co, a member of the LR Group, to turn around the cocoa industry in Nigeria.

“My firm has a contract grant agreement between the United States of America Government through the United States Trade and Development Agency (USTDA).

“The contract is to carry out feasibility study and bankable business plan to farm and develop cocoa and cassava farms and value chains from farm to table, to international standards and best practice.

“It will be for local uses and export purposes,” he said.

The industrialist said adopting the firm’s protocols and methodology would increase cocoa yield from its present 400kg per hectare to 3.5 tons per hectare.

He urged on the Federal Government to lend their support to enable the firm access funds from the International Finance Institute.

“The Federal Government should support us because this funding we are trying to raise is from the International Finance Institute.

“So, we need guarantee from the Federal Government to raise this funding.

“We also need guarantee from the state government through a policy, to ensure that Cross River cocoa is processed in Cross River, because most of our cocoa is taken out of the state by these merchants.

“Our foreign partner is one of the largest agro companies in Israel. Their technology can improve our cocoa farm yields from less than half a ton to 3.5 to 4 tons, which we want to introduce to the farmers.

“You can see we are out for serious business. We want to regenerate cocoa.

“As we move on, we will also help the farmers regenerate their farms to higher and better production level,” he said.

Agara also said the grant from the United States (US), included cassava because it was processed into a lot that the US needed.

“You can get industrial starch, pellets for drugs, cassava flour, and even this, our fufu is in high demand for Nigerians in the US and Europe.

“The contract will also serve as an opening to Nigeria to deal directly with the United States government on agricultural products, particularly cocoa and cassava, which is not happening today.

“We are restricted and don’t ship directly to the US as we speak, so you can make your findings.

“We can also ship directly to the US. This will help our balance of trade and our economy.

“This is what we have spent so much of my energy, time, and money to develop and get to this stage,” he said.

Agara explained that the first production line of the cocoa processing plant was functional, had been test run and presently relied on generator to power the plant.

He also said that the second phase of the plant was integrated and would make use of renewable energy to run the entire process.

According to him, when completed, the second phase will use cocoa from the farmers directly.

“It would thus save the farmers the stress and the labour of having to use women and children to crack their cocoa pods and do their drying and the rest,’’ he said.

Meanwhile, Agara has attributed the challenge of power to the delay in operation of the Ikom Cocoa Export Processing Plant.

He noted that the cost of production would be too much for the AA Universal Agro Company, if it decided to run the processing plant on diesel.

“There is no PHCN, and if you power it with diesel, you will run at a 1000 per cent loss because the cost of production will be too high.

“That is why we are constructing a renewable energy plant so that we can have our independent power supply while generator can serve as standby.

“That is why there have been delays. But with all this packaging we are putting together, by the time we take off fully, we can have a very dependent power source,’’ he said. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Nkiru Ifeajuna/Ayodeji Alabi

By Felicia Imohimi

The Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Maiha, has called for legislation to ensure that all animals slaughtered in abattoirs are processed under controlled and hygienic conditions to guarantee public health.

Maiha made the call on Friday in Abuja at the 2025 Ministerial News Conference.

He emphasised that such measures would ensure the healthiness of slaughtered animals for consumption and enable the country to fully harness the potential inherent in the livestock sector.

He highlighted the underutilisation of resources in abattoirs, such as cow blood, horns, skin, bones, bone marrow, and bile, which were currently wasted.

Maiha noted that if these resources were fully utilised, the hide and skin alone could create 700,000 jobs and generate about 23 billion dollars in value for the country.

He further explained that economically, if 200 cows were slaughtered in an abattoir, the blood could be channelled to blood banks, with each cow having 30 litres of blood valued at 1,000 Naira per litre.

Maiha said each cow produced 30 kilograms of solid waste after slaughter, which could be used to make biogas to power the abattoir.

He said the bones could be crushed into calcium for animal feed, and the bone marrow could be sent to pharmaceutical companies for drug production.

Maiha attributed the current hike in beef prices to over-dependence on red meat, which constituted 55 per cent of cow meat, while other parts were considered waste.

He assured that the ministry would ensure best practices in abattoirs to create jobs for the masses and enhance the country’s economy.

Maiha emphasised the ministry’s vision to build a resilient, sustainable, inclusive, and globally competitive livestock sector that drives economic diversification, growth, job opportunities, food and nutrition security, and improved livelihoods.

He added that the mission was to create innovative, inclusive, and sustainable public service programmes to address the agricultural sector and ensure that the volume and value of businesses there were unlocked.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the conference aimed at fostering a deeper understanding of the government’s progress and developmental agenda.

It was also in line with the directive of President Bola Tinubu to all ministers to provide updates on the achievements, policies, and programmes of their respective ministries.

This initiative underscores the administration’s commitment to transparency, accountability and effective communication with the Nigerian public. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Abiemwense Moru

Agreement

By Hussaina Yakubu

Kaduna State Government and the United Nations have signed a Technical Cooperation Project, through the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), to address food security and leverage its potentials in agriculture.

The project also seeks to support smallholder farmers to address hunger, malnutrition and stimulate an inclusive socio-economic growth in the state.

The Technical Cooperation Project, titled ‘Smart Tomato Value Chain Enhancement through Sustainable Practices for Livelihood Improvement in Kaduna State’, was signed at the Council Chambers of Sir Kashim Ibrahim House on Thursday.

Speaking earlier, Gov. Uba Sani said the state holds great potential for Nigeria’s food security as the leading producer of many agricultural produce, including ginger, maize, soybeans, tomato and sorghum, among others.

According to the Governor, agriculture accounts for more than 51 per cent of the state’s GDP while it employs more than 70 per cent of its population.

Sani said, “It is mostly youths that make up nearly half of our over 10 million population.

“We are also blessed with favourable climatic conditions that support the production of a vast array of agricultural produce and year-round agricultural activities.

“Kaduna State is one of the leading tomato-producing states in the country.

“It is our hope that this new partnership will catalyse our rapid progression toward attaining and maintaining the coveted top spot as a major producer in Nigeria and West Africa.”

According to him, the primary source of income for most of the people is agriculture.

He added, “That was why we allocated about N74 billion or 9.3 per cent of our 2025 budget, in our effort towards meeting the 2014 Malabo Declaration of 10 per cent budgetary allocation to agriculture.’’

Sani pointed out that the budgetary allocation to agriculture demonstrated his administration’s commitment to food security and sustainable livelihoods, even as a subnational government.

He, however, argued that accelerating agricultural growth and transformation was capital-intensive.

Sani said, “That is why the Kaduna State Government welcomes this opportunity to partner with FAO and enhance our tomato production value chain through sustainable practices.’’

In his remarks, the FAO Country Representative, Koffy Dominique, said that the organisation was committed to strengthening the entire tomato value chain.

According to him, this is with the view to addressing challenges in production, post-harvest and strengthening cooperatives.

He said FOA would focus on enhancing production techniques to improve yields and quality, reduce post-harvest losses through better storage, processing and infrastructure development.

The country representative said that FAO would continuously advocate  agricultural transformation and sustainable food systems in the North-West region and Kaduna State in particular.

“Kaduna State has the capacity to become a powerhouse in agricultural production, value addition and food security, not only for the nation but for the continent.

“This signing ceremony represents more than just an agreement; it is a milestone in our shared journey toward sustainable development, job creation, and inclusive economic growth,’’ he added.

He also commended Sani for his visionary leadership in fostering collaboration and creating an enabling environment for development. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Bashir Rabe Mani