Oil palm Farmers commend FG for transforming Agricultural sector

The Oil Palm Growers Association of Nigeria (OPAGAN), on Wednesday, expressed optimism that the ongoing transformation efforts in the agricultural sector would pull Nigeria out of economic woes.

Mr Hilary Uche, the National President of OPAGAN, made this disclosure in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Awka.

Uche, who reviewed the agricultural sector in the past, present and the future, said the appointment of Chief Audu Ogbeh, as the Minister of Agriculture, had truly transformed agriculture in the country.

“As a key player in the agriculture sector, a lot of improvement has been recorded since Chief Audu Ogbeh came on board as the Minister of Agriculture.

“In the oil palm arm, where I am the president; as a group, we are happy with what the Federal Government, has done and Nigeria can occupy her rightful place in oil palm production with what we now have,’’ Uche said.

The OPAGAN’s president said in spite of the present economic hardship, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, had been able to provide enough equipment to turn around the agriculture sector.

“The minister and his team had made it possible for oil palm farmers to access herbicides, insecticides, irrigation water pumps, sprouted nuts, highly improved oil palm seedlings.

Farmers also have access to other mechanised equipment such as oil palm mills, palm kernel cracking machines, motorised harvesters at subsidised rates.

“The modern mills are in Imo, Anambra, Akwa Ibom, Cross River and Plateau and all the 24 states with high prospect in oil palm will get theirs very soon.

“As the leader of the association, what we are currently doing is the formation of oil palm clusters in states to enable farmers get the machines,’’ he said.

Uche said that already, the clusters had been formed in five states, adding that “10 to 20 persons form one cluster”.

He said under the new arrangement, Nigeria could in the next one year, begin to produce special palm oil, ”which is of high demand across the world for local and export markets”.

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Uche said with the transformation in the sector, a lot of unemployed people would be gainfully engaged in the production of special oil.

“To produce special palm oil, we require thousands of people as workers to operate the mills, harvesting, and develop the seedlings, and this will obviously reduce the unemployment rate in Nigeria,’’ he said.

Uche advised OPAGAN’s members to trust and love one another as they form the clusters, saying, “it is only with love that Nigerians can defeat the culture of ”one man business attitude’’.

He encouraged the unemployed people, especially young graduates to embrace oil palm production.

Uche said with the enabling environment provided in the agriculture sector, agriculture had changed from a mere subsistence to a life changing business.