Nigeria’s Minister of State for Agriculture and Rural Development, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, has said that the Federal Government would provide 73 motorized harvesters to boost oil palm production in the country.
The Hon. Minister made this statement when Oil Palm Growers Association (OPGAN) paid him a courtesy visit in his office recently.
To that effect, the Hon. Minister said the Federal Government has procured 73 motorized oil palm harvesters to ease the suffering and loss that the farmers experience while harvesting and also to help in providing quality and world standard palm oil.
Senator Lokpobiri also said that the motorized harvester will be given to the farmers at a subsidized price and that farmers will be trained on how the harvester will be operated.
He assured the leadership of the association that they are going to be carried along in all the activities between the government and the farmers, adding that government is committed to helping the farmers to access a single digit loan from CBN, Bank of Agriculture and Bank of Industry which will help the farmers to expand their farms and boost production to attain food security.
The Minister also said that on issues of land tenure and land clearing, the Federal Government will partner with State Governments and the communities to achieve the required result.
He then said State Governments will be sensitized and encouraged to key into the programme so that, with their support, the farmers will have more support because the issue of food security is everybody’s concern.
On his part, the National President of Oil Palm Growers Association (OPGAN) Igwe Hilary E. C. Uche thanked the Federal Government for the response and urged the government to come to their aid in assisting the oil palm farmers with high yielding seeds, as farmers need less than 9million high yielding seeds, land clearing and loans from banks at a single digit.
The president also urged government to invest in oil palm because with falling crude oil price, only oil palm will sustain the economy of the country due to its potential.
He urged the 24 oil palm producing state governors to assist the oil palm farmers in their respective states so that all the problems will be solved.
Igwe then thanked the Federal Government for providing the motorized harvester and assured full commitment of his members to use and maintain the equipment so that Nigerian oil palm will be accepted by the international market.
-independentnig