In the past, Nigeria was the leading oil palm producing country in the world but today it can’t measure up to Malaysia which, incidentally, obtained the palm kernel with which to begin production from it.

Daily Trust on Sunday gathered that palm oil production is on the decline due to lack of government’s support in terms of farm inputs such as seedlings, machines, land and loans among others.

But the Nigeria Institute for Oil Palm Research (NIFOR) said it is boosting oil palm production in the country with improved seedlings of two and a half years gestation period as well as other extension services to farmers.

Some of the oil palm farmers who spoke to our reporter lamented that they are not supported the same way government is supporting rice farmers across the country.

One of the farmers, Tony Ekhigiator, said one of the major challenges facing oil palm farmers is finance because the farmers need fund to buy seedlings, control pest and maintained the farm for high yield.

“I am into large scale oil palm farming but I have not gotten any assistance or incentive from both the state and federal governments. I have been sustaining the farm on my own,” he said.

He said the Federal Government can help oil palm farmers by giving them loans so that they can acquire land to expand their plantations.

“Government can help us through loans so that we can acquire land and plant more oil palm trees. As a result of lack of fund, we find it difficult to maintain our farms, thereby incurring poor yield.

“We need money for maintenance, without it the farm will not do well. With good maintenance, a palm tree can produce 10 bunches of palm kernel,” he said.

He appealed to the government to insist on seeing the farms of farmers before giving out loans because most of those who were given such facility in the past did not even have any farm.

“There is market for oil palm in Nigeria and we get good seedlings from NIFOR and individuals but due to lack of encouragement and support from the government, we can’t expand. We need other inputs, especially fertiliser because many farmers are not using fertilizers due to lack of fund,” he said.

Also speaking, Solomon Okoduwa said getting good seedlings for good harvest is one of the challenges facing oil palm farmers in the country.

“Most farmers are still battling with the old seedlings which are not too viable and productive like the new improved varieties.

“We have the tenera seedlings from NIFOR that have three to four years gestation period but we have the most recent one from Malaysia which has 16 months gestation period as against Nigeria’s three to four years variety,” Okoduwa said.

He said: “The one from Malaysia cost N2,000 per seedling while that of NIFOR and others cost between N250 and N300. The difference is that in the next 16 months, you can harvest that of Malaysia while you have to wait between two to three years before harvesting that of Nigeria.”

Okoduwa said getting milling machine for processing was another challenge affecting the oil palm farmers as they have to harvest and arrange for a vehicle that will convey the produce to a milling centre for processing in another faraway place.

“The government can help with utility vehicle that will help to convey the produce from one point to another.

“Also, the government can provide a standard milling machine and motorized harvester in one of the communities that will serve many farmers,” he suggested.

On how government can help the farmers, he said it can provide good seedlings to oil palm farmers to enable them have bumper harvest. “What we need is government support like the Anchor Borrower from CBN programme to help us embark on proper angro business,” he said.

Another farmer, Peter Aguele, identified lack of access to fund and land as the major challenges facing oil palm farmers.

He noted however the federal and some state governments are now responsive in terms of land as the Edo State government has made land acquisition easy for palm oil farmers.

“Part of the reason we are not doing well in agriculture is the issue of access to land because the Land Use Act has made access to land difficult for farmers except you have to go to your locality.

“Aside funding and access to land, research and development in the oil palm sector has been a problem. NIFOR has been doing well for many years. No business that has no research can do well. Countries like Malaysia, Indonesia and others are doing well because of their research institutions,” Aguele said.

He said, in 1963 Malaysia came here to pick palm seedlings but today they are exporting $20 billion worth of palm oil and Nigeria is still regrettably a net importer of palm oil.

“We hope that the government will be responsive by trying to find the real farmers who are interested in oil palm farming because we have many portfolio farmers who always approach government as farmers and whatever that is coming in terms of funding will get to them and not the real farmers.

“Government should try to visit the farm of anybody who claims to be an oil farmer so as to ascertain the truth. And once this is done, a situation where money is not given to the real farmers would be addressed.

“We have to join cooperatives to be able to access funds but once it is time to support us, it is the big players in the industry like Okomu and Presco oil companies that will first be the beneficiaries, he lamented.

He said NIFOR has come up with improved seedlings that government was making sure they get to farmers.

Speaking with Daily Trust, a source at NIFOR said the institute is boosting oil palm production by coming up with improved seedlings that will give better yield for the oil palm farmers.

He said aside provision of improved seedlings, the institute has come up with numerous training programmes for small and medium scale farmers through various extension methods.

“We have also developed a simple processing machine for farmers to process their produce,” the source said.

He said the institute has ensured availability of improved materials for farmers in Nigeria through the supply of oil palm sprouted seedlings and various training sessions for farmers and extension agents.

The source stated: “NIFOR has transferred the technology of raising oil palm nursery to seedlings to small and medium scale farmers.

“Through research, we have made improvement of yield potential of oil palm through breeding and selection and developed a high yield breed called Tenera hybrid with fruit to bunch ration of over 75 percent.

“We have developed seedlings that have two and half years’ gestation period. We have developed Tenera hybrid variety such as Dura, Piisifa and Tenera. The dura is thick-shelled with a thin layer of scanning mesocarp and large kernel.

“The pisfa has no shell, with fruit comprising mainly of the oil bearing mesocarp while tenera is thin-shelled with a large proportion of oil bearing mesocarp and a small, medium-sized kernel,” he said.

He explained that the problem with the farmers in trying to boost oil production is that instead of patronising NIFOR seedlings, they buy from people who sold wrong seedlings that will not give good yield. “We have developed seedlings that take two and half years to produce,” he assured.

He called on the oil palm farmers to always patronise NIFOR for their seedlings as well as get advice on how to get better yield instead of patronising people who do not have the requisite knowledge.

Meanwhile, Daily Trust has gathered that a 25-litre jerrycan of palm oil cost between N13,500 and N14,000; 20 litres N10,500; http://surecontents..com/2018/07/oil-palm-farmers-making-progress-with.html

FTC for the first time ever since joining Nairaland in 2014...I dedicate this FTC to all nairalanders for keeping this forum alive..one love



As for the palm oil

the truth is that govt cant really help every farmer who need help but the main thing is if govt institutions that are saddled with responsibility of supporting farmers do their job many farmers will have improved seedling and then u have support from agric extension officers who guide your activities in the farm from there growth of the farmer starts.

look at BANK OF AGRIC which offers loan services to farmers since the last administration has not started giving out loans even when the current minister of agric has said that he has funded the bank , but in reality the bank says they have not been funded.

so if the agric institutions are working then the way forward is brighter


if you want to learn more about agriculture farming and so on pls log to letsfarmnigeria..com

One of the farmers, Tony Ekhigiator, said one of the major challenges facing oil palm farmers is finance because the farmers need fund to buy seedlings, control pest and maintained the farm for high yield.
He said the Federal Government can help oil palm farmers by giving them loans so that they can acquire land to expand their plantations

GOVERNMENT, should do something for these people NOW!
Ministry of Agriculture should do more than they are doing currently.
Agriculture is the future of the COUNTRY.
Let's invest in our farmers.
NOTE!
God bless Nigeria.

In case you don't know...










Today is Sunday!!!



Happy Sunday...

Ok

When it is not Oil rigs, they won't support

What were they expecting?

When they said they were pumping money into agriculture via loans to farmers, I knew the pumping was into their own farms.

He Needs To Be Gratefull.
Here Who Even Care?

Turn to herdsmen

When they are not herdsmen

letsfarmnigeria:
the truth is that govt cant really help every farmer who need help but the main thing is if govt institutions that are saddled with responsibility of supporting farmers do their job many farmers will have improved seedling and then u have support from agric extension officers who guide your activities in the farm from there growth of the farmer starts.

look at BANK OF AGRIC which offers loan services to farmers since the last administration has not started giving out loans even when the current minister of agric has said that he has funded the bank , but in reality the bank says they have not been funded.

so if the agric institutions are working then the way forward is brighter


if you want to learn more about agriculture farming and so on pls log to letsfarmnigeria..com

God bless you sir.

Govt cannot in 4yrs help all farmers. It's a gradual process and I want to believe that with time every category of farmers and the various Cooperatives would be captured.

This post is more beneficial than political posts that would not add any value to the economy.

Are your oil palms cows?

government only interested in cow business


since it fuels the economy more than crude oil

Oil Palm farmers listen, if you are not northerners and your produce cannot be grown in the North, forget it. Your complaints won't border them.....

This na cow centric govt.

APC na Always Protect Cows

Buffalowings3:
Turn to herdsmen

They should just thank God that Fulani herdsmen are yet to open their files.

The government should support the farmers but the farmers also need to help themselves by combining skills, resources both human and capital to forge their common interests forward.

Govt is only interested in terrorist cows

In these challenges enumerated, there are items federal government can alleviate and ones the state government can handle. I believe the state government can assist on the issue of transportation and milling, where the state gov can do a statistics of these farmers , seek to partner with farmer cooperatives to finance transport and mini milling facilities across the state.
They can look at different models. The LGA can over see this project on behalf of the state. Dont tell me there are no funds. Where are all the security vote and ecological fund.

Tareq1105:


God bless you sir.

Govt cannot in 4yrs help all farmers. It's a gradual process and I want to believe that with time every category of farmers and the various Cooperatives would be captured.

This post is more beneficial than political posts that would not add any value to the economy.

Agreed but a road map is needed, the only thing we hear now is Rice, rice and rice. Individuals and organisations need to know what plans the government has for these areas of Agric and Agric sector as a whole. What can be done now and in the future. Investors confidence is needed.

Onozboy:
FTC for the first time ever since joining Nairaland in 2014...I dedicate this FTC to all nairalanders for keeping this forum alive..one love



As for the palm oil

Is this an achievement?

Onozboy:
FTC for the first time ever since joining Nairaland in 2014...I dedicate this FTC to all nairalanders for keeping this forum alive..one love

As for the palm oil

Are you one of Buhari’s uneducated youths who are sitting around waiting for free oil money

thatigboman:
Govt is only interested in terrorist cows

Axis313:
They should just thank God that Fulani herdsmen are yet to open their files.

Kelamma:
When they said they were pumping money into agriculture via loans to farmers, I knew the pumping was into their own farms.

Their own farms or their own cows