By AMAWU Cletus Albert Amawu.
GOV. OTU’S AGRICULTURAL ROADMAP: C’RIVER RECLAIMS AGRICULTURAL GLORY WITH OIL PALM AND COFFEE REVIVAL, SAYS OPGAN STATE CHAIRMAN.
In a passionate declaration of commitment to agricultural revitalization, the Chairman of the Cross River State Chapter of the Oil Palm Growers Association of Nigeria (OPGAN), Rev. Ojikpong Nyiam Bisong, has reaffirmed the state’s mission to reclaim its legacy as Nigeria’s cradle of agriculture.
Speaking during a Stakeholders engagement in Calabar at a press briefing organised by the Honourable Commissioner of Agriculture and Irrigation Development Hon. Johnson Andiambey Ebokpo KSM., to unveil Governor Bassey Edet Otu’s bold reforms initiatives in the Agriculture sector to boost production, support farmers, and unlock new agricultural value chains for economic growth, food security, and rural prosperity.
Rev. Bissong praised the Cross River State Government’s agricultural roadmap that now integrates coffee cultivation alongside oil palm and cocoa.
“What we are going to do is to show Cross River State to the world that the old perception is gone,” Rev. Bissong declared. “Cross River used to be the cradle for agriculture, and this administration has taken the responsibility of bringing it back to that status.”
According to him, coffee, though once sidelined, is making a return with long-term sustainability benefits. He recounted how coffee trees, once seen only as playthings in village compounds, are now central to a new phase of agricultural productivity. “The introduction of coffee has brought a new leaf to it,” he said.
Public-Private Partnership for Sustainability:
Rev. Bissong emphasized the importance of the public-private partnership (PPP) model that underpins the current agricultural agenda. With farmers now registered and actively involved, he stated that the success of these initiatives is no longer solely dependent on the government.
“The continuity is there, whether government is in or out,” he affirmed. “Nobody abandons a money tree. Once it starts yielding, your focus remains.”
He further pointed out that inter-cropping coffee with oil palm reduces maintenance costs and benefits soil health. “Coffee doesn’t allow grasses to overtake oil palm farms and it enriches the soil with nitrogen, boosting palm yields and farmer incomes,” he noted.
While responding to Journalists enquiry on the recent distributed Palms,-Seedlings, Sprouted Nuts, and Long-Term Strategy; Rev. Bissong addressed concerns over the timeline for sprouted oil palm nuts currently in nurseries. While they typically remain in nurseries for 14 months, he noted that early planting could occur at 12 months due to the seriousness of farmers treating the initiative as business—not charity.
He shared optimistic projections thus:
“Planting should have started this year, but due to the rains, we’re targeting March-April 2026 with the first rains. The current batch will begin to yield after 30 months.”
He also clarified that oil palm and coffee could be cultivated simultaneously, streamlining land preparation and lowering maintenance costs. “As you’re clearing for oil palm, you’re clearing for coffee no extra cost,” he said.
Rev. Bissong concluded with a call to action for citizens to embrace agro-enterprise, stating that even planting ten palms in home spaces could secure family futures. “Agriculture is the original business of humankind,” he said, thanking the state government and the press for championing the sector’s revival.
