Mr Umo Inameti, the Chairman of Natural Rubber Producers, Processors and Marketers Association of Nigeria, NARPMAN, in Cross River State, has disclosed that natural rubber can generate as much as N200 billion every year for the state if given the desired attention.
According to Inamenti, states and federal government should give deserved attention to rubber in order to bolster the economy and reduce unemployment.
Inameti stressed the importance of rubber and how it can be explored to the country’s advantage.
Addressing the Commissioner for Commissioner for Crops and Irrigation Development, Johnson Ebokpo, in his office in Calabar, he said: “If we are able to do 50,000 hectares in the next few years, we will drastically reduce rural-urban migration and we will be making about N200 billion direct income to our primary industries annually, not to talk of the by-products.”
He said since the oil boom, the state does not give prime attention anymore to rubber which used to be its mainstay years ago.
“Cross River depended heavily on rubber but presently, the state does not have up to 10,000 hectares of prime producing rubber due to the impact of the oil boom”, Inameti said.
He appealed that rubber should be added in the state’s 2024 budget, praying further that government should come out with a policy document to develop the commodity by making available, at least 100,000 hectares of land for rubber cultivation.
Also speaking on the importance of rubber, National Vice President South-South of NARPMAN, Mr Usen Umoh, called for development of rubber in the state.
He reminded the commissioner of the promise of the state government to establish 50,000 hectares each for rubber, cocoa and oil palm, adding that if that was done, Cross River would be on its way to economic growth.