Agric Minister Makes Case for Investment in Oil Palm, Others

In view of the comparative advantages oil palm, rice and cassava have over other crops, the Minister of Agriculture, Akinwunmi Adesina has called on potential investors in agriculture to invest on the crops to enhance the agricultural sector, especially in the area of employment generation.

This call was made by the Minister at the first investors workshop/training on modern crops processing, processors' group formation, products quality and organised marketing held in Ibadan at the weekend.

Represented at the programme by the Regional Director, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Abuja, Olalekan Quadri said: "we want investors to look at the areas they can invest in and take advantage of the different areas we have in the sector because this can ensure job opportunities".

He maintained that there were tremendous opportunities in the agricultural sector, especially in the area of oil palm that could transform the lives of youths, adding that, "the ministry has embarked on what we call wild groove and re-planting operations, in other words, all old palm trees of 40 years to 50years, the ministry is now giving seedlings free so that people can begin to replace the old ones"."Because most farmers are poor resource farmers, so the government is trying to see how they can be assisted. So, if you have a land with old palm trees, you can key into the programme and start a replanting process, in two and half years the palm will mature for harvest", he said.

In his welcome address, Damilola Eniayeju, Director, Federal Ministry of Agriculture said the workshop was targeted at training investors and supervisors on modern ways of handling, processing techniques and packaging of various crops.

Eniayeju who was represented by Mattew Owolabi, his Deputy in the Ministry said these techniques would help get the best processed products quality and sensitization of processors on group formation that would lead to organised marketing and trading.

"All these are being done under crops promotion and Development such as cassava, rice and oil palm through a Public Private Partnership (PPP) titled Cottage Crops Processing Factories Programme, he added.

The Director equally said the aim of the workshop was to let every beneficiary of cottage crops processing factory to learn and interact positively stressing that it would also educate them on the advantages and challenges of modern processing that give birth to quality processing output.

(Daily Independent)