By AMAWU Cletus Albert Amawu.
COFFEE REVIVAL GAINS MOMENTUM IN CROSS RIVER AS STRATEGIC CROP FOR ECONOMIC DIVERSIFICATION-DR. ASSAM ASSAM.
Coffee is making a strong comeback in Cross River State, with stakeholders and policymakers championing it as a strategic crop to alleviate the seasonal financial challenges long endured by cocoa farmers.
Speaking during a high-level stakeholders’ engagement held earlier today at the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation Development in Calabar, Dr Assam Assam, Chairman of the National Coffee and Tea Farmers Association of Nigeria (NACOFTAN). applauded the state’s renewed focus on agriculture. The engagement, hosted by the Honourable Commissioner for Agriculture, Hon. Johnson Andiambey Ebokpo, was part of the unveiling of Governor Bassey Edet Otu’s reform initiatives to boost production, empower farmers, and drive economic growth through diversified agricultural value chains.
Dr Assam noted that coffee, once widely grown in areas such as Agbokim Waterfalls, suffered a sharp decline in the late 1980s following a global price crash. This forced many farmers to pivot to cocoa and oil palm. However, he believes the time is ripe for a revival.
“Coffee is not here to replace cocoa or oil palm,” Dr Assam explained. “It is here to complement them to diversify income sources and increase rural wealth. Every Cross Riverian should be able to tap into this opportunity.”
Introducing the innovative concept of ornamental farming, Dr Assam urged councils, schools, and households to plant coffee trees in public spaces and residential compounds. “Even twenty trees behind your house can generate value. The fragrance alone is delightful, and the eventual harvest provides a real economic benefit,” he said.
Highlighting the economic potential, he stated that coffee can yield up to two tonnes per hectare under favourable conditions, with better returns per hectare than cocoa or oil palm. While Robusta coffee matures within 2.5 to 3 years, Arabica varieties take between 4 to 5 years, depending on climate.
Dr Assam called on community leaders, institutions, and families to embrace coffee cultivation as a tool for inclusive economic development. “You don’t need vast land. Even your backyard or palace grounds can grow coffee,” he stressed.
The event concluded with strategic commitments to integrate coffee farming into local development agendas, and with renewed promises to support smallholder farmers across the state.
