The Incorporated Society of Planters (ISP) Africa has announced the date for the formal launching of the Society in Abuja which will highlight the role of the ISP in promoting knowledge exchange and capacity building among planters across Africa.
The launching will also introduce the ISP’s vision, mission and goals for the plantation industry at large and also foster networking opportunities among Agricultural Experts, Industry Stakeholders, Policymakers and Researchers.
Chairman, Incorporated Society of Planters (ISP), Africa, Shermal Perera, said the important thing that they are trying to bring to Nigeria in terms of benefits is capacity building using the agricultural revolution Malaysia and Indonesia as a point of reference.
“As you all know, Malaysia is still a leading country in oil palm. We are now moving into a space of computers, AI and a lot of modern development. You know, looking at sustainability, renewable energy, zero diesel usage, in running an oil palm plantation is very efficient and productive.
“And it is quite clear that some of us went over to Indonesia and developed oil palm cocoa, rubber in Indonesia itself, making it today a country that has its own people developing these crops and making the country into a very well-established agriculture country.
“I think the pattern is the same. If you want to draw a line between what had happened between Malaysia and Indonesia, here is an opportunity where Malaysia with its expertise has been able to develop over 100 years, are now coming across here to capacity build, and ensure people in Nigeria actually gets educated, gets the right knowledge in terms of going into high productivity and high efficiency”, he said.
Perera further stated what Nigeria needs to do now is try to see that it can actually rehab, change, reestablish good standards, high level of competencies and high standards of sustainability in order for us to take the country’s agriculture space into the next level.
He said with the introduction of ISP, the expertise that is on ground, Nigeria should be able to push this industry forward.
The Vice-Chairman, Incorporated Society of Planters (ISP), Africa, Fatai Afolabi while responding to a question on dwindling cocoa, palm oil production in Nigeria said there was a time Nigeria was number three but has slid down to number five in the world.
“What the rest of the world like Malaysia, Indonesia, Colombia and even Ireland that has currently overtaken Nigeria in the oil palm sector is that they have sustained aggressive production.
“Definitely in Nigeria today, the paradigm has changed. We cannot do planting the way it was done 50 years ago when Nigeria held sway as the largest producer of palm oil. The only reason for instance why Malaysia and Indonesia have taken over Nigeria in palm oil is that they have changed their game in how they plant.
“We cannot be planting using the same material or the same system used 70 years ago and expect to get the same results as those that are using modern technologies and techniques are getting”, he said.
ALSO READ: Breaking: Gov Obaseki approves N70,000 minimum wage
and then