NPPAN states importance of National Oil Palm Development Council

The National Palm Produce Association of Nigeria (NPPAN) has called on the National Assembly to enact a law establishing the National Oil Palm Development Council to regulate, incentivize investments, and provide a level playing field for players.

The association made the demand during its national executive council meeting held recently in Ondo State to address several issues affecting the industry and inaugurates members of the board of trustees.

“The National Assembly to as matter of urgency enact a law establishing the National Oil Palm Development Council to regulate, incentivizes investment, and provide a level playing field for the industry,” the association says in a June note.

“We are also demanding that CBN set aside a minimum of N200 billion for the funding of smallholder oil palm farmers under the Oil Palm Development Initiative (OPDI) of the apex bank,” the statement says.

The association requested that governments of the 24 states with comparative advantage in oil palm production emulate the Ondo state government for allocating and gazette 10,000 hectares of arable land for the development of the crop.

NPPAN also demands the release of 25 per cent of all import duties charged on all imported oil palm products to the association for backward integration and opening of new oil palm plantations in the country.

Similarly, NPPAN is demanding adequate funding from the Nigerian Institute for Oil Palm Research (NIFOR) for increased research and production of hybrid seedlings.

The farmers request the apex bank to persuade the bankers’ committee to accept oil palm plantations that are a producing asset as collaterals and must be included in the National Collateral Register (NCR).

“We request the Federal and State Governments to partner with the association to produce and distribute 10 million hybrid Oil Palm seedlings to smallholder farmers yearly, and support the novel program of the association to empower every family to plant 20 oil palm trees between 2021- 2026; codenamed ‘1 Family 20 trees’,” the association notes.

The body also inaugurated Ikenna Wachuckwu and Fred Adejo as members of the NPPAN board of trustees.