Enugu Govt distributes oil palm seedlings to farmers to boost production

The Enugu State Government has distributed 8,000 oil palm seedlings to farmers in the past seven months to enhance its local production and  boost the state’s internally generated revenue.
Mr Chijioke Egbo, the Head of Oil Palm Seedlings Distribution Unit, Enugu State Ministry of Agriculture, made this known on Tuesday in Enugu.
Egbo said that the ministry distributed 8,000 seedlings to the farmers at subsidised rate of N200 per seedling between March and September.
He said that the seedling specie called known as “tenera’’ was better than other species due to its economic value.
“Tenera oil palm specie has more economic value because of its dual purposes and it is an improved palm oil seedling,” he said.
According to him, the seedling takes only three to four years to mature, while other species can take more than five years before their maturity.
He said that the state Ministry of Agriculture usually sourced the improved oil palm seedlings from the Nigerian Institute for Oil Palm Research (NIFOR) in Benin.
Egbo advised farmers to always buy their seedlings from the ministry to get quality for their money.