The National Palm Produce Association of Nigeria, NPPAN, is set to commence the distribution of 10 million oil palm seedlings across the country.
The association also targets to empower youths and women with 20 free oil palm seedlings under the programme.
The National President, NPPAN, Amb Alphonsus Inyang, stated this in Abuja on Monday while speaking on the activities of the association.
According to Inyang, palm trees, when planted, will be harvested for more than 50 years adding that one hectare of palm trees will give the farmer a minimum profit of N2 million from the third year.
“The NPPAN hereby calls on relevant and credible youth and women organisations and associations to partner with us in the empowerment of Nigerian youths and women towards the realisation of the programme of ‘One Household 20 Palm Trees’ as we target 10 million oil palm trees that would set in motion the economic prosperity of young Nigerians and women in the development of oil palm plantations and estates across the country.
“These palm trees, when planted, will be harvested up to 50 years; one hectare of palm trees will give you a minimum profit of N2 million from the third year, and you make N1.5 million to make one hectare over three years.
“If they come and partner with us, we will train them; make them have access to inputs; easy access to funding; enable them to have a partnership with relevant government development agencies; to set them on a journey of economic prosperity forever through the establishment of these oil palm estates or plantations in their different states, and to make them different from other youths,” he said.
He called on other development partners and donor agencies to support the initiative.
“This programme will set Nigeria on a new pedestal for economic prosperity, will make oil palm which is our own cultural and traditional crop to take its place, and it is sustainable.
“We are calling on them to partner with us through training, access to input and finance.
“Now, we are going to carry out enumeration of households across 24 States, we need their support and youths will be employed in doing the enumeration across the 24 States; from village to village to number households to get an accurate number of seedlings they want for this programme.
“It is an ambitious one and also a comprehensive one. We are starting in 2021 against 2022 planting season,” he stated.
He said that the distribution of 10 million seedlings by the association just commenced, adding that: “I have given out free of charge hybrid oil palm seedlings to all the local government areas in 24 States that have a comparative advantage in oil palm production.
“So, that is what we have started as part of flagging off the programme, and we are starting the enumeration in 2021.
“Let the State governments partner with us, give us land as Ondo State has done for us. Ondo State has partnered with us and as we speak, we are planting there.
“Though the land is not free, we pay a royalty every year to the government which is about 10, 000 hectares.
“Some State governments can give us a land of 100, 000 hectares, 50, 000 hectares or more for us to populate the place with oil palm trees.
“We want the Federal Ministry of Environment to partner with us on this, and we can produce 30 million oil palm seedlings to use around the environment in public schools, hospitals and others,” he said.
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