The Cross River Government says that it has awarded N1.16 billion contract for the commencement of work on a model banana farm project in Akamkpa town of Akamkpa Local Government Area.

Prof. Anthony Eneji, State Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, stated this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Calabar.

Eneji said that the contract was the first phase, adding that work would commence on a 100 hectares out of the 250 hectares of land allocated for the project in the state.

He said that already, the contractor had been mobilised to sight for the first phase of the project.

According him, the second phase will start in Boki Local Government Area.

“The farm will grow different species of banana, and thereafter, turn them into finished products such as fruit juice, banana sweets, chips and so on,” he said.

The commissioner said the state had been blessed with natural crops like banana, plantain, pineapples and Cucumber, among other. (NAN)