By Juliana Agbo, Abuja

Federation of Agricultural Commodity Association of Nigeria (FACAN) has called on Cross River State Governor, Ben Ayade, to  discontinue his pursuit of cocoa  and other agricultural produce regulation.

The association said the regulation through Executive Order Bill initiated by the governor will deprive farmers from selling their cocoa produce to buyers of their choice.

President of the association, Dr. Victor Iyama, told reporters the new law will not benefit farmers but will rather create unemployment.

He said  the bill is aimed at doing the same to other agricultural produce in the state.

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According to him, the bill is targeted at making it illegal for anybody to sell agricultural produce outside the state but rather directly to government owned companies.

This he said, will negate the right of farmers to sell to buyers of their choice.

He said: “Going the path of disallowing farmers to sell to buyers of their choice is like bringing back the woe of cocoa board years of policy suffering of price exploitation which was the reason former President Ibrahim Babagida abolished the board for open market economy over thirty six years ago’’.

Iyama further said the issue would be officially reported to National Chairman of All Progressives Congress ( APC), Senator Abdullahi Adamu to prevail on the governor to discontinue the policy that can render farmers jobless.