The Juaboso District Assembly had distributed 31,500 palm seedlings to 137 farmers in the Juaboso District of the Western North Region as part of the community mass production of the crop.
It is under the Government’s flagship program; Planting for Export and Rural Development.
The District Chief Executive, Martha Kwayie Manu said the initiative demonstrated government’s commitment to economically empower farmers to improve on their living conditions and feed the One-District-One-Factory, (1D1F) initiative.
She said an oil palm processing factory would soon be established there under the 1D1F programme.
“Oil palm produces a lot; for food, traditional soap, medication and even the nutshells serve as poultry feed. I, therefore, entreat farmers to take advantage of the heavily subsidised packages to go into farming.”
Mrs. Manu said a task force would be put in place to monitor the farmers to make sure they planted the seedlings to derive the maximum benefit.
The District Director of Agriculture, Kwame Emmanuel Esiape, commended the DCE for the project, which would enhance oil palm production.
He said cocoa production was low in the District and was hopeful that the oil palm would complement that, while appealing to the Government to provide them with agricultural machinery to increase yield.
The Juaboso Nkwanta Chief, Nana Adu Yaw II, commended President Akufo-Addo and the DCE for the initiative and urged the farmers to make use of it adding that the traditional leaders were ready to provide the Assembly land for the venture.