Ogheneruona Tejiri, Effurun
Delta State Government has expressed readiness to fully support Coffee Value Chain Initiative by providing necessary enabling environment for it to grow into an emerging booming business in the state.
This was disclosed by Ada-Val Arenyeka Esq. Delta State Commissioner for Agriculture at the formal unveiling of the Coffee Value Chain in the Niger Delta and inauguration of Delta State executive of National Coffee and Tea Association of Nigeria in Effurun.
Arenyeka who was represented by Dr. Orioko Edmund, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture said that there is need for the state to move beyond dependence on oil and gas, saying that coffee presents a viable alternative that is of high value with enormous economic potentials.
According to Arenyeka, “the Delta State Government is committed to supporting this coffee initiative through the provision of an enabling environment, including support for access to land, extension services, agricultural inputs and training by experienced agronomists and other relevant professionals.
“Our vision should not simply be to grow coffee. We must aim to own and develop the entire value chain. From production to processing, branding, packaging and export. Delta State must position itself to derive maximum value from this emerging opportunity.”
In his speech, Dr. Hassan Usman Kakara, National President, National Coffee and Tea Association of Nigeria said that the Association is committed to working with government, farmers and other stakeholders to ensure that the initiative succeeds with the products hitting local and international markets.
Also speaking, Mr. Festus Ogbogoro, Delta State Chairman of the Association said that the initiative has challenged members of the Association to look beyond coffee as a crop and see it as an economic opportunity, a source of livelihood, instrument for rural development, a platform for youth empowerment and a potential driver of sustainable prosperity in the Niger Delta region and across Africa.
According to Mr. Ogbogoro, “unveiling of the coffee value chain in the Niger Delta should not end as a conversation or summit. It should become the beginning of an action agenda. We need governments that create an enabling environment. We need investors who are prepared to invest in the entire value chain. We need financial institutions that understands agriculture and appropriate financial models”
High point was the formal unveiling of the Coffee and Tea Value Chain in the Niger Delta by Dr. Eugene O. Hyacinth-Ossai, President and Chief of Party, National Coconut Development and Propagation Initiative.
