The Executive Secretary of Gold Fields Ghana Foundation, Mr. Abdul Razak Yakubu, has encouraged youth in the Tarkwa and Damang host communities to venture into large scale oil palm seedling production as alternative source of livelihood.
He said seedling production is more lucrative than galamsey and fully assured the youth that they will not regret going into this productive venture.
Mr. Yakubu indicated that a single oil palm seedling is currently sold at GH 27.00 and urged the youth to calculate how much they will be making from an acre.
“Is this business not far better than galamsey with its associated risks and dangers? It is about time the youth said goodbye to galamsey and diverted their attention to seedling production to make good monies for themselves”, he stressed.
He was speaking at the launch of the Foundation’s Empowering Communities Through Oil Palm in Ghana (ECOPALMS GH) project at Pepesa, a predominantly farming community in the Prestea-Hunivalley municipality over the weekend.
Free seedlings
The project basically aims at nursing and distributing free certified oil palm seedlings to farmers in the host communities for cultivation.
Gold Fields Ghana Foundation has for the past eight months financially supported a newly registered local company called ECOPALMS, to nurse twenty-four thousand certified oil palm seedlings for distribution to farmers in the host communities.
Five hundred farmers will benefit from the distribution exercise with each of them expected to cultivate at least a 3-acre plantation.
Mr. Yakubu spoke of plans by the Foundation to nurse more seedlings every year for distribution to the beneficiary farmers to expand their farms.
He said the Foundation was also contemplating nursing cocoa seedlings for cocoa farmers in the host communities.
The Executive Secretary further disclosed that $17,000 had so far been invested in nursing the oil palm seedlings.
A cheque for GH.C 280,000 was presented to officials of ECOPALMS during the launch ceremony in appreciation for their support and commitment to making the project a success.
Sustainability
The money is also to help sustain the project with or without the Foundation’s support.
Mr. Yakubu said although 24, 000 oil palm seedlings had been nursed, the Foundation pledged to pay for 23,000 and charged ECOPALMS to go to the open market for buyers of the remaining 1,000 seedlings.
He said the Foundation will also continue buying seedlings from ECOPALMS for three consecutive years before pulling out.
Organic horticulture
Throwing more light on the ECOPALMS Gh. project, Mr. Yakubu said immediately after its establishment in 2002, Gold Field Ghana Foundation began a youth in organic horticulture production program to encourage the youth in the host communities cultivate vegetables with 600 of them getting actively involved in the program.
He said in 2005, the Foundation further supported farmers in the host communities to go into oil palm cultivation and rearing of livestock.
Three years ago, he said the oil palm farmers declared an intention of expanding their farms and appealed to the Foundation to supply them with more oil palm seedlings.
The Foundation therefore saw the need to reduce cost of obtaining more seedlings directly from Ghana Sumatra Limited at Kade in the Eastern Region by executing the ECOPALMS Gh project with an 18-member local team which was subsequently registered into an oil palm seedling nursing company.
He said some acres of land were acquired at Pepesa for nursing more seedlings following technical advice by Ghana Sumatra Limited and the Oil Palm Research Institute.
Mr. Yakubu intimated that the 18-member ECOPALMS team was also effectively trained by the municipal business resources centre before embarking on the project.
Ready market
He assured the farmers of ready market after harvesting and preparedness by Gold Fields Ghana Foundation to help them process their produce themselves.
The Executive Secretary also assured them of plans by the Foundation to reconstruct the deteriorated Samahu-Pepesa feeder road network for easy and smooth transportation of their produce, adding that the sod-cutting will be performed next month (July) for commencement of the project.
He described all these interventions as ‘ a golden opportunity ‘ and reiterated his encouragement to the youth to take advantage of it by making money through large scale oil palm seedlings production.
Commendation
Dr. Isaac Danso, the Director of the Oil Palm Research Institute, commended Gold Fields Ghana Foundation for embarking on the ECOPALMS Gh project which he said will go a long way in addressing the country’s oil palm deficit.
He said Ghana produces 3,000 metric tons of oil palm every year as against the needed 4, 500 metric tons and expressed optimism that the project will help bridge this gap.
Similar sentiment was expressed by Mr. Thomas Dakogre, General Manager for Ghana Sumatra Limited, after re-assuring the Foundation, other corporate institutions and farmers of the availability of quality high yielding oil palm seedlings at his company.
Story by Yaaba Yamikeh, Pepesa (Western Region of Ghana)
