The Akwa Ibom State Governor, Mr Udom Emmanuel, said the government would plant two million coconut seedlings to generate raw materials for its coconut refinery.
Speaking in Mkpat Enin during the commissioning of the refinery, which is the first of its kind in Africa, Governor Emmanuel explained that already one million hybrid seedlings have been planted.
He stated that the coconut plantation, which will feed the refinery, cuts across four local government areas of the state, adding that one stand of the hybrid coconut has the capacity to sprout five or six stands that will produce at least 49 coconuts each.
Mentioning that the plantation has the capacity to provide enough raw materials for the refinery, the governor revealed that the refinery can also produce virgin crude palm kernel oil.
“Today, I think we have gone beyond one million, and one stand of hybrid coconut sprouts into five or six, and each bundle is expected to yield between 49 and 57 nuts at a go. So, if it sprouts into five or six, even if one million stands yield at the same time and we harvest, it means that for 250 days, we can be processing one set of harvest,” he said.
