Reviving the oil palm plantation q

Mission Statement. The project is to promote the development of the sustainable production and ultimate utilization of the oil palm in Nigeria and West Africa subregion with a focus on practical field training based on best practices as the driving mechanism behind such sectoral development

The purpose of the project is to contribute to the reduction of poverty in rural areas among small scale active farmers where oil palm is highly cultivated, creating rural urban employment and value chain addition to improve the economy of Nigeria and the sub region.

The project will address technical input requirements in the present day oil palm production tactics to increase productive quality and value by improving division fiction of products with large sustainable markets from the oil palm, providing an environment for more equitable sharing of benefits among stakeholders.

To create awareness, orientation on the dangers of neglecting oil palm production and processing.

West Africa used to be the centre of oil industry. The export of palm kennels began in 1832 and by 1911 "British" West Africa alone exported 157,000 tons of which about 75℅ came from Nigeria in the 1870s

British administrators took the plant to Malaysia in 1934, and that country has surpassed Nigeria as the largest exporter of the product.

Led by Nigeria and Zaire, Africa continued to lead the world in production and export of palm oil throughout the first half of the  20th century. By 1966, however, Malaysia and Indonesia had surpassed Africa's total palm oil production.

It will amaze you that Nigeria has imported palm oil worth over $3.2 billion dollars between 2007 to November 2017. This means that the nation imported a commutative 4,760,000 tons of palm oil. This no doubt brought more hardships and poverty to the country.

The key component of this project is to teach farmers on the best agricultural practices for maximal yield from their productions. This is important because the land space available may be constant, but with good management practices, production will be enhanced without destroying the environment and destroying the chances for the unborn generations to meet their needs.

Justification. This project will let  communities of small scale oil palm farmers exploit resources during their lifetime and handover to the future generations that will see and regard themselves as custodian of nature given resources.

Follow Ups and Sustainability. Sustainable oil palm production is a team work that provides opportunities to meet across disciplinary boarders to facilitate new collaborations in the areas of economic ecological and social sustainability

Exchange Visit. We have mopped out modality to carry out visit to the smallholder farm plantation quarterly to see how their plantation are doing and give recommendation.

Information Sharing and Networking. We are going to ensure we give room for information sharing through our periodic visit and network the smallholder farmers together in order to assist the target farmers acquires managerial skills.

This project is set to achieve it objective by putting the following in place:-

To train rural small scale active farmers (especially women) on oil palm production and processing techniques and practices in order to boost their economic status and achieve.

To help them access market to achieve food commodity value chain.

Group Disintegration. Trained individual farmers shall be organized into groups and encouraged to manage their own operations as well. In the long term, different groups shall carry out needs assessment and start income generating projects.

This is the incentive to hold together and champion other communal activities and needs. Income generating activities increases individual capital and are in line with poverty reduction strategy thereby connecting members to uphold the project.

Awareness Creation. When these various parts are fully integrated, the outcome will be a system that makes our products credible to local/ global markets, reduce poverty, unemployment especially among the younger generation, restiveness among youths.

The Local Population. We shall cover all areas where oil palm plantation can be crown in Nigeria. We shall cover South South, South West, South East and North central for this project.

Risks and Reversion. One of the risks in the project is data collection, getting of hybrid seedlings and maintenance, especially from independent farmers which we are addressing from the networking information and sharing.

Weather Conditions. Common feature of Nigeria's oil palm plantations is that productivity time is between March to June. Most plantation owners and managers attribute this to the climate condition of their plantation location and believe that nothing can be done about it.

The answer is yes. But by the pedigree hybrids from us, the farmers will have high yields throughout the months of the year.

The result demonstrates that dependent smallholders with primary level education are responsible for most of the pollution in the environment due to wrong agricultural practices. There is room for improvement in the social, environmental and economic aspects of sustainability through intensive and quality training, which is our core objective and the dependent smallholders cooperation through information sharing and collaborations we have instituted

The development of oil palm is not only for strengthening the economy but also for participating in poverty alleviation, rural and social development.

The fundamental principals of Waste management are minimize and recycle the waste, recover the energy and finally dispose the waste. These principals apply to agro - industrial wastes such as palm oil residues as they do to municipal waste. We can simply no longer afford to dispose the residues when there is an economically useful alternative. We must fist consider the current uses and disposal of mill residues in order to address the potential for recovery of energy in the palm oil industry. One of the unique aspects of renewable energy source is that the palm oil mill is self sufficient in energy using plant press fiber, empty fruit bunches and shell as fuel to generate steam in waste fuel boiler for processing, and power generation with steam turbines.

The Origin and Production Capacity of Allissee Pedigree Hybrids (APH), the source of Willow Empowerment for Grassroot Development Initiative.

Allissee Pedigree Hybrids are derived from high grade Nigeria Institute for Oil Palm Research (NIFOR) Extension Work Seeds (EWS) planted in a farm near Benin City, 1975-1989. Their parents were screened free from the debilitating vascular wilt disease of oil palms between 1973 and 1976.

Their yield potential is based on high individual bunch production per annum as well as high oil to bunch ratio. They are authentic D × P hybrids. They all have long spanned fronds which become horizontal at maturity, thus allowing for low density planting of 138-143 palms per hectare. If well managed, each palm can produce up to 25 bunches annually with average single bunch weights over 20kg at 10 years of age.

The exceptional Allissee wonder Hybrid (AWH-1) planted in isolation in Benin City, Nigeria, 2002, produced 40 bunches in 2014. The average bunch weight that year was 18kg. Extrapolated at 138 palms per hectare gives a yield of over 90,000 kg of ffb per hectare!

The oil palm in a location where it grows well is of high economic values to its owner. Its non seasonal production habit, high yield potential and several by-products from its primary fresh fruit bunches (ffb) make oil palm plantation a profitable business proposition 

There is however a snag in this glowing prospect for most Nigeria oil palm planters. They have a common production problem of high bunch yields between January and June followed by a sharp drop from then to December in a vicious annual cycle.

For a small plantations of 10 acres (4.0 ha) to 50 acres (20.0 ha), the problem can result in total absence of harvestable bunches of 3-4 months of the year during which there is no income from their farms. In the larger estates, the shortfall in production during the 'lean' period translates into heavy loss of revenue and worrisome plantation maintenance headache.

The good news is that the problem is self imposed by the plantation owners and it is preventable.

The oil palm we see in the country side have 3 different varieties with distinct fruit forms. They all look alike and cannot be differentiated by sight.

The varieties which can only be identified by their fruit forms are technically known as DURA, PISIFERA and TENERA.

DURA palm produce variable but few bunches average of about 6 bunches per annum

PISIFERA palm produce a profuse number.

TENERA palms usually produce above 15 bunches in accordance with genetic quality of DURA and PISIFERA parents. 

 Future Food has the task of working with a future perspective to address long-term sustainability challenges for the food system.
And according to UN World Commission on Environment and Development, 1987, "Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs."
This project fulfils one of the most important aims for the Future Food platform, which is to develop interdisciplinary working methods by initiating and facilitating collaborations across scientific disciplines. How?
Sustainable oil palm production is a team work that provides opportunities to meet across disciplinary boarders to facilitate new collaborations in the areas of economic, ecological and social sustainability.
Some of the key disciplines that will be directly involved in the activities of the project include agronomists, environmental auditors, waste managers, accountants, economists, GIS and mapping experts, medical personnel, quality control, sales experts, engineers, computer analysts, etc
This project encourages sustainability because it will significantly strengthen oil palm production system and make it competitive, especially now that oil palm is used in the production of more than half of the products in the supermarkets globally. The demand is huge.
Considering the fact too that Nigeria, which is the largest consumer of palm oil in Africa and with a population of 197 million (World Bank, 2018) cannot satisfy the local need for oil palm, but with a shortfall of whooping 0.32 million metric tons, any support given to the small holders of oil palm plantations will boost local production and possibly encourage export.
One of the key components of this project is to teach farmers on the best agricultural practices for maximal yield from their plantations. This is important because land space available may be constant, but with good management practices, production will be enhanced without destroying the environment and destroying the chances for the unborn generations to meet their needs.
Since achieving this will require the collaboration of multi-disciplinary research, this project is in tune with Future Food’s definition of interdisciplinary science.

PROJECT FLOW CHART

Detailed implementation  plan: 2020-2023

The project is of two phases

Phase one: The project will cover a period of three years from the time of creating awareness to the time of fruit bearing of the oil palm.

Expected Output. This initiative is for independent farmers and we are assisting them to succeed. We are expecting about 3,000 ( three thousands) independent farmers covering over 1000 ha, and we are making arrangement for over 150,000 seedlings for the start-up project.

Phase two: The project will cover a period of 40-50 years, which will consist of harvesting, processing and up taking. Within the next 5 years we believe our independent farmers should be getting to 30,000 and our target is to cover the nooks and cranny of all the areas where oil palm is highly cultivated in Nigeria.

Justification. This project will let communities of small scale oil palm farmers exploit resources during their lifetime and handover to the future generations that will see and regard themselves as custodian of nature given resources.

Training Farmers Course Contents

The course outline for the training will cover the following:-

1. Orientation, awareness and prospect

2. Nursery training

3. Field planting

4. Fertilizer application and nutrient management

5. Farm maintenance and disease control

6. Harvesting and collection

7. Processing techniques

8. Exploiting international donor advantage as the up takers

9. Certificate of participation. 

Palm oil plantation investment is a lucrative investment instrument, once you plant, it's always said that your next generations will reap from it. Palm plant outlives the owners and it is not affected by the economy of the local country where it is located. Because it’s an international commodity like crude oil.

As at Jan 31th 2020 a ton of refined palm oil is sold for $834 in the international market.
The Amazing thing about the commodity is that according to index mundi, the price has not gone blow the figure in the past ten years.
 It has raised about the figure in numerous occasions during this time.
Hectare of palm plantation will yield an average of 3.9 tons of oil. 500 Hectare of palm plantation will yield 3.9 tones x 500 = 1950 As at Jan 31th 2020, price was $834 per ton 1950 x $834 = $1,626,300 Equivalent of 585.468 Million Naira
Sales of palm kernel
1 Hectare of palm plantation will yield an average of 0.5tones 500 Hectare of palm plantation will yield 0.5 x 500 = 25tones As at Jan 31th 2020, price was $954.7 per ton 250x 954.7= $238,867 Approximately 85.923 Million naira There are other uses of palm oil just as petroleum oil but we want to focus on these two instrument: palm oil and palm kernel At 1.5 million naira conservative estimate per hectare, 150 hectares equals 225 million naira.

We want to make 30,000 millionaires out of oil palm plantation business in the next 5 years.

Financial Barrier. For the start-up project we are expecting about 3,000 ( three thousands) smallholder farmers covering over 1,000 ha and by our campaign and awareness the numbers realized so far is outrageous more than our expectations but with financial constrain to even handle our target numbers.

Also we plan to raise over 150, 000 seedlings which we are still battling to meet up.

Technical input. Presently we have some expert working with us and handling our training but we are also looking for international partnership with technical support.

Market barrier. We have also for see this aspect as a challenge for the success of our initiative. Processing techniques and machine is needed for the success of the project. Although we have work on local fabrication to process the oil palm but we want to take it to international standard level.

Funds is our major constrain for this laudable and life changing project.

Willow Empowerment for Grassroot Development Initiative NGO is to eradicating poverty in Nigeria. Having keenly studied the rural challenges of the Nigerian populace, the population, geographical locations and all associated factors, we have masterly charted a course, invented road maps and developed excellent blueprints on how to eradicate poverty in Nigeria through enhancing the oil palm sub sector. Now, Providence and profound searching have connected us to the international communities like yours and others we are approaching to reach this feat.

Other means.

We are targeting smallholder farmers that have their own personal land for the oil palm plantation to take care of land acquisition.

It will be cheaper for us to train the smallholder farmers through sprouted kernel to nursery, and to seedlings.

This will not affect their cropping farming activities until one and half years when the seedlings will be due for planting. This initiative allow them to use their land and get money while nursing their sprouted kernel to seedlings in the order hand. One and half years after planting their oil palm is begin to bear fruits. They don't have to wait for 3 years before harvesting.

This project is now our sleeping and awaking thought !

5 full time staff

Mrs Seyi Afolayan Awi

Mrs Janet Odogun

Mr Emmanuel James

Mrs Victoria Faith Dare

Mr William Dare.

7 Part-time Staff.

Mr Moses Alege

Engr. Awolola Esther

Engr Clement Buoro

Mr Augustine Olorundare

Mr Peacemaker Adewale Ikejuwa

Mrs Helen Apeh

Mr Isaac Oshatuyi

Coworkers

Name: OHIOBO AMOS EDEKIOYAIHEGBO 
Position: ACADEMIC ASST. CHIEF TECHNOLOGIST
Institution: FEDERAL UNIVERSITY LAFIA, NASARAWA STATE
Dept: MICROBIOLOGY 
Qualification:FISLT, AISLT, PFD, MSc, PGDE ( All in Microbiology, Biotechnology, Laboratory Technology and Education )

Name: JOSEPH OGUNTOLA 
Position: ASSISTANT PLANTATION MANAGER
Institution: PRESCO PLC, BENIN CITY, EDO STATE
Dept: PLANTATION
Qualification: B.ENG (HONS) IN AGRICULTURAL ENGINEERING
Years of Field Experience: 14½

Joseph Oguntola is an agribusiness coach who has produced training materials for crops such as watermelon, cucumber, oil palm nursery etc. and is still working on many other crops

He studied Agricultural Engineering and graduated from the University of Ilorin, Kwara state

At present, he works as Assistant Plantation Manager with Presco Plc, one of Africa’s biggest oil palm grower, miller and refiner. 

With over 14 years working experience in oil palm nursery management, seed germination, field planting, and maintenance, harvesting, budgeting and general estate management, he is skilled at managing human and material resources.

He manages over 3200 hectares of oil palm and produces hundreds of thousands of seedlings every year for the company’s expansion project. He was responsible for the felling and replanting of 520 hectares of a 33 years old plantation.

The jaw-dropping results from this project has attracted many oil palm enthusiast. Instead of waiting for 36 months to fruit, the highly improved tenera hybrid planted in August 2018, coupled with the best management practices he strictly implemented on the project, began producing fruits in January 2020, barely just 17 months.

It is estimated that this will result in close to 5 tons per hectare the first year instead of the usual o.5 to 1 tons per hectare.

He won the best staff award for his department and has been promoted twice despite the stiff competition in his workplace.

None for now.

My beneficiaries are the smallholder farmers in the rural communities where oil palm is highly cultivated in Nigeria.

The trained individual farmers shall be organized into groups and encourage to manage their own operations as well. In the long term, different groups shall carry out needs assessment and start income generating projects

This is an incentive to hold together and champion other communal activities and needs. Income generating activities increases individual capital and are in line with poverty reduction strategy thereby connecting members to uphold the projects.

 Conversion of tropical forest to agriculture results in reduced habitat heterogeneity, and associated declines in biodiversity and ecosystem functions.

Oil palm is one of the most widespread and important tropical crops that is offers substantial potential for developing wildlife friendly management strategies because of it long rotation cycles and treelike structure.
Although there is awareness of the need to increase sustainability, practical options for how best to manage oil palm plantations, for benefits to both the environment and crop productive.
The study of oil palm agro ecosystem and test sustainability strategies hypothesis that adjustment to oil palm management could  increase structural complexity, stabilize microclimate, and reduce reliance on chemical inputs, thereby helping to improve levels of biodiversity and ecosystem functions

OUR GOAL AND PARTNERSHIP OBJECTIVE.

Making Nigeria's Oil - Palm plantations more productive than in current leading World Palm - Oil producing Countries.
To promote the development of the sustainable production and ultimate utilization of the oil palm in Nigeria and West African subregion, with a focus on practical field training based on best practices as the driving mechanism behind such sectoral development.
To contribute to the reduction of poverty in rural areas among small scale active farmers where oil palm is highly cultivated, creating rural - urban employment and value chain addition to improve the economy of Nigeria and the subregion.

MIT faculty or Initiative

By collaborating in putting the following in place:-

* To create awareness, orientation on the danger of neglecting oil palm production and processing in Nigeria and on our economy.

* To train rural small scale active farmers (especial women) on oil palm production and processing techniques and practices in order to boost their economic status and achieve.

* To help help them access market to achieve food commodity value chain.