By Sylvia Akpan, Government House Correspondent
As part of efforts to boost the oil palm subsector in the state, the Governor of Cross River State, Sen. Bassey Otu has procured 3.5 million to improve oil palm sprouted nuts from the Nigerian Institute for Oil Palm Research, under the Cross River State Oil Palm Development Initiative (CRODI).
This was disclosed in a press release signed by the Permanent Secretary, Ekpe Bassey, stating that the move is to ensure sprouted nuts are given to the rightful farmers.
He said the State Government has trained and deployed enumerators to the 18 Local Government Areas, for profiling of interested farmers in the State who are ready to buy the sprouted nuts.
Interested participants for the profiling exercise which will commence by Monday, 2nd to 11th September 2024, are to visit the Local Government Council where their farm is located and meet with the HOLGA or Director of Agriculture to confirm the schedule for their respective communities/farm areas. The farmers are to submit themselves to an available enumerator and complete the online registration form with a valid means of identification while also noting that profiling will be done in their respective communities for mapping of their farms.
Ekpe added that the list of profiled farmers will be published in the Local Government Councils and the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation, indicating the allocated quantity of nuts and a designated government account for payment while payments will be according to the allocated number at a subsidized rate of 100 Naira for each sprouted nut and 20 Naira per polybag.
Farmers are warned not to make any cash transactions with anyone during the process.
Beneficiaries are mandated to meet the following criteria which include having land for planting in any of the 18 LGAs of the State and committing to planting the sprouted nuts within Cross River State.
Also, beneficiaries are advised to commit to allowing field officers from the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation Development or sister agencies and partners to visit his or her nursery sites/ farms and access farm records, as successful beneficiaries will be clustered for technical support and easy monitoring of the nursery development.
Interested participants are advised to visit the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation Development or contact the Head of Administration or Director of Agric in the various Local Government Councils for further inquiry or reach out to them via 08038878637, 07034651543, 08061330222, 08064219782.
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