Abia State government has directed the newly inaugurated State Cocoa Monitoring Team to curb activities of smugglers who carry cocoa beans from Abia to other neighboring states, using border villages.
The Deputy Governor, Ikechuckwu Emetu who gave the directive while addressing the members of the Cocoa Monitoring Team, encouraged them to use cocoa farming and its value chain to tackle youth unemployment in the state.
Emetu who said that the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of Abia State can be boosted through the cocoa sub sector, said that the anti-smuggling team’s terms of reference include searching vehicles suspected to be carrying cocoa to neighboring states.
The monitoring team is also to conduct routine inspection of the produce within Abia and collect fines from identified defaulters.
The Chairman of Abia State chapter of Cocoa Farmers Association of Nigeria, John Kalu said the monitoring team and cocoa farmers would collaborate with the state government in actualising the transformation of the cocoa industry and agriculture at large.
Abia Govt moves to stop cocoa smuggling to neighboring states
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