TheCable

The Kogi government says the state has maintained a clear lead in the production of cashew in Nigeria.

Speaking to journalists on Friday in Lokoja, the state capital, Kingsley Fanwo, commissioner for information, said the feat was achieved due to sound agricultural policies.

He added that efforts are ongoing to make Kogi the cashew hub of Africa.

“Today, Kogi state is the biggest producer of cashew in Nigeria because of our sound agricultural policies geared towards empowering farmers with improved seedlings, mechanisation, agro chemicals as well as creating an enabling environment for the private sector to invest in cashew production,” Fanwo said.

“Kogi has retained this position for many years and our ambition is to push Nigeria’s production level above that of Ivory Coast, which is the leading cashew producer in the world.

“The administration of Yahaya Bello is scaling up the gear to improving the value chain in cashew production in the state. We can only get value for money when we can add some value to our cashew before selling to the major buyers.”

Fanwo said the state is also doing very well in the area of cassava production, adding that the emergence of some A-list Industries in the area of cassava processing had enhanced the production and fortunes of the farmers.

He said the issue of herder-farmer clashes in the state has drastically reduced as a result of the “collaborative security architecture that has evolved strategies to ensure peace and security”.

“Yahaya Bello has and is still paying a great attention to agriculture as a result of the edaphic advantages of the state to use that sector to address poverty and hunger,” he noted.