The Ondo State Government has called on the Federal Government to use intervention fund meant for cocoa buyers to set up a cocoa processing plant in the state.
Ondo State Commissioner for Commerce, Industries and Cooperatives, Chief Timehin Adelegbe who stated this at a programme organised by Nigeria Export Promotion Council (NEPC) with the theme “Repositioning Nigerian Cocoa to attain Global Competitiveness’’ said the intervention fund was enough to set up processing outlets so as to stop exportation of cocoa beans in the country.
He said the cocoa beans could be processed in Nigeria to produce butter and other derivatives for export.
“I am saying this because cocoa is like our oil in Ondo State and its development should not be left in the hands of the state government alone.I believe that Federal Government should establish plants that can make use of cocoa beans because taking the produce out of the country and providing incentives to buyers is not the best option,” he said.
Adelegbe said that the seminar was apt considering the state as the highest cocoa producer in the country.
