The Chairman of Oil Palm Growers Association of Nigeria (OPGAN), Rivers State Chapter, Mr. Erasmus Chukwunda has called on government at all levels to give attention to oil palm in the agricultural sector.
Mr. Chukwunda who made the call in a Town Hall Meeting held in Port Harcourt, said since oil palm is one of the major things mankind need to survive, the government should not relent in giving oil palm production priority attention in their scheme of things, as it creates an alternative economy and employment.
He noted palm oil products are the major raw materials in the pharmaceutical industry, food industry, cosmetic industry, saying the value chain is huge in Nigeria.
He expressed optimism that the challenges of finance and acquisition and clearing facing the oil palm were not insurmountable if only the government can have a second thought over it.
Mr. Chukwunda reiterated that the association needed finance to expand their oil palm base in the state. “There are multiple opportunities in the oil palm industry, so we need money to reinvest into the sector and expand oil palm production and estate”, he said.
The national president in his speech assured that the association was set to revamp oil palm in Nigeria by collaborating with the Nigerian Institute for Oil Palm Research and SIAT to get high breed seedlings to enable them to increase on local production and extension.
Barr. Oyuike said the essence of the town hall meeting was to ensure that sensitization gets to the rural areas for them to get registered and be part of the association so as to benefit from the good things that await the association and to sell their products at their market platform.
Barr. Oyuike also assured that the issue of adulterated oil would soon come to pass as the association is putting their house in order to fish out these bad eggs.
Also speaking, Chief Edwin .U. Dike, Eze Asara I of Umuawa in Ikwerre Local Government, called on the government to make available soft loans to encourage the peasant farmers expand their farm sizes which he said will go a long way to enhancing oil palm production in the state.
He said more than 80 persons have so far received their grant from Central Bank and urged their numerous members across the state that have not registered to do so, in order not to miss out, assuring that the registration is free.
