Chidi Tony| A renowned international Civil Society Organization, Solidaridad, has partnered with Akwa Ibom State government to distribute a total of one thousand two hundred Oil Palm seedlings to Small holders oil palm farmers in the State.
Flagging off the distribution of oil palm seedlings yesterday in Uyo, the Commissioner for Agriculture, Mrs. Offiong Offot appreciated Solidaridad for complementing government efforts towards achieving food security and sufficiency in the state.
Offot, who said the importance of empowerment of people in the Agriculture could not be over-emphasized, stressed that the initiative would empower the beneficiaries
to become financially independent.
Her words: “We all know that His Excellency Governor Udom Emmanuel has always supported farmers with inputs, all geared towards improving food security and sufficiency in the state. Food is the most basic need of man.
“We appreciate Solidaridad for this initiative.
In many ways, you have supported His Excellency’s food sufficiency agenda. Thank you for complementing the effort of this administration. Thank you for being a dependable partner”
In his remarks, Mr. Kenechukwu Onukwube, the Project Manager, Solidaridad, Nigeria, explained that providing improved oil palm seedlings to farmers was an area of intervention by Solidaridad currently in four states, namely, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Enugu, and Kogi States.
He explained that the organisation decided to go into intervention in the area, after the organisation carried out a study on the status of Oil palm in the state and discovered there were challenges of decrease in the yield and attendant low income of farmers and revenue for government.
“So in order to prevent that downward trend that would be experienced in the next 40 to 50 years, we discovered that there is a need to change quickly the variety that is prevalent in the landscape.
“The prevalent ones are the wild varieties, and that is why you see very tall Oil Palm trees but many of them have gone beyond their optimal yield level. So for that to change, the improved variety has to replace the wild palm trees. We are doing this in phases.
“So we are working with 48 select farmers in Akwa Ibom just to start with. We’ve trained them on how to properly plant the improved seedlings. They really tried and today we are happy that we have this to show. Our focus is on Small holder farmers to enable them have a voice in the oil palm sector” he explained.
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