PIND empowers oil palm farmers with modern equipment in Ondo

FOUNDATION for Partnership Initiatives in the Niger Delta (PIND) has condemned neglect of palm oil production and the non utilisation of the economic potentials in oil palm, noting that farmers can make more profit with the aid of the modern technology.

The PIND facilitator, Dr Samuel Dare, who disclosed this during the demonstration and commissioning of the small-scale processing equipment for oil palm farmers in Iju, Akure North Local Government Area of Ondo State, said the equipment would go a long way to increase palm oil production.

According to the facilitator,  the intervention is agriculture driven aimed to train fabricators in the area of production of the modern equipment to alleviate poverty and create more employment among smallholder oil palm farmers in the Niger Delta.

He disclosed that PIND had donated a set of digester press, steriliser and clarifier worth N750, 000 to the oil palm farmers, and assured that more intervention will be given to farmers who are interested in the equipment by subsidising the price by half.

He noted that the functional test of the machines was done to show the oil palm farmers, who had been using conventional equipment that causes some loss, that new technology will shove up their profit.

“The one that is commonly used in Ondo State can only extract about 8 per cent of the palm oil in the local oil palm fruits that have up to 11 per cent of palm oil. The agric palm has 21 per cent oil content but the machine they are using here can only extract 11 or 12 per cent at peak season.

“So, we see virtually that half of the palm oil in the palm fruits are being thrown away; that is the essence for the introduction of this new technology,” he said.

ALSO READ: Man kills lover over condom

He said the new equipment is being used in other parts of the country to maximise the profits of oil palm farmers, estimating their extraction from the palm fruits to an increase of 15 to 18 per cent.

“With the adoption of this new technology, the farmers will get more returns from their labour. Our  goal is that at least they should get 40 per cent income through the adoption of this equipment.”

Abubakar Yusuf, the Supervisor from Mohat Nigeria Limited, who trained the fabricators in the state, noted that the innovation eases the stress associated to the old machines.

The Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Agriculture, Mr Akin Olotu, commended the foundation for its many agricultural interventions across the three senatorial districts in the state.

Olotu said, “We need this type of intervention to create jobs for our people and keep money in the state. This is our greatest problem because our system doesn’t retain money. We buy everything in this state, almost everything coming from outside the state.”

Olotu expressed satisfaction over the new innovation, saying it will create more jobs especially among the youths, assuring that the state government would continue to partner with PIND and the farmers.

The beneficiaries, alongside the chairman of Ondo State Fabricators, Mr Oladimeji Success, commended the foundation for the intervention and pledged to adopt the new trend to maximise their profits.