Edo urges National Assembly to legislate vegetable oil import ban

Edo State government has called on the National Assembly to legislate on law banning the importation of farm produces, especially vegetable oil.

Abdul Oroh, the state commissioner for agriculture and national resources, made the call while playing host to the team leaders of the oil palm value chain, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, at his office in Benin City.

BusinessDay reports that the oil palm value chain leaders were in Benin City for the 2013 special oil palm Growth Enhancement Support (GES) roll-out.

The unbridled importation of vegetable oil has negatively impacted local production, Oroh noted, adding that in addition to the banning, high tariffs should also be considered to encourage local production.

The commissioner, who also appealed to the Federal Government to allocate 500,000 improved tenera oil palm seedlings to Edo State farmers out of the 4 million raised for distribution to farmers in 24 oil palm producing states, however, advocated for free distribution of the seedlings to farmers instead of subsidising.

According to him, I want to call on the National Assembly to legislate on law that will prohibit the importation of vegetable oil in the country. Lack of legislation regulating the importation of farm produces, especially that of vegetable oil, has negatively affected local production. I also want to advocate that the Federal Government should give farmers free inputs instead of at the subsidised rate.

Oroh, who expressed the state’s aspiration to produce 25 percent of Nigeria oil palm needs, pointed out that the 500,000 seedlings would go a long way to help in realising the target of the state.

While positing that the state played host to some investors after the first ever agro-business summit held in the state last year, added that plans were already at the stage of signing a memorandum of understanding with the investors.

With the development, Edo State would within the next few years become destination to Nigeria’s future economy, he said.

Oroh, who also commended the minister of agriculture, Adesina Akinwunmi for his inspirational leadership in transforming the nation’s agriculture sector and the organisational structure of GES, observed that about 200,000 hectares of oil palm that would culminate in enormous employment generation would be cultivated in few years time in the state.

Dickson Okolo, the leader of the oil palm value chain, said the meeting was to finalise arrangement for the distribution of improved farm inputs to 30,000 oil palm farmers under GES. Akinwunmi, who was represented by the federal permanent secretary in the ministry, Ibukun Odusote, disclosed that the main objectives of the value chain are to increase vegetable oil palm production and achieve import substitution by 2015, the yield and productivity of organised and unorganised plantings.

He listed other objectives to include improve the processing activities so as to produce quality crude oil and vegetable oil products, arouse greater interest and concern for engagement in competitive market activities and create opportunities for employment.

The oil palm value chain is among the Agricultural Commodity Value Chains being promoted by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

The ministry of agriculture has in the 2012/2013 fiscal year set up a target of raising 9 million improved tenera oil palm seedlings with potential yield capacity of 21mt ffb/ha and has already done 4 million, she said.

The seedlings are being raised by public and private nursery operators of the 24 oil palm growing states.

The permanent secretary further said that the distribution of the improved seedlings to farmers will commence under the Special Oil Palms GES to plant new areas and expand existing holdings.

Odusote, who posited that a total of 49 public and private nursery operators are involved in the activities, said 18 estates benefited from the free nuts issued to them to raise and expand their plantation in order to annually achieve 500-550ha each.

By: IDRIS UMAR MOMOH