Opinion: Benue to Become Leading Exporter of Palm Oil – Alu Vershima

Palm oil is very important to an African man and humanity in general because of its antioxidant nature, that is, palm oil is an anti-poison product. Palm oil can also help you to see better. People believe that using palm oil can help with the skin as well. These attributes of palm oil are not strange to us because, our parents right from time knew that Red oil as it is fondly called among Africans was used for many things, when somebody is suspected to have eaten poison, palm oil till today is the first thing that comes to mind, even when a child is suffering from over feeding, it is still the same Red oil that is applied to their stomach to soften it.

But apart from just consumption, the cultivation of the palm farm itself is a multi lucrative industry that was unfortunately not harnessed in Benue state over the years, but presently with the introduction of His excellency governor Fr. Hyacinth Iormem Alia palm project, Benue is set to take over other states like cross river, which have been known over years to be the leading producers of palm oil and other palm products. This is because the species that is being introduced by the governor is a new modern species with improved seeds that can yield in a short time of just 2 years, and even less for those well tended to or where manure is applied.

The introduction of the Alia palm project by the governor of Benue state is yet another proof of the governor’s dedication to laying a foundation for a sustainable economy that can provide jobs for Benue people and shoot a lot of them to millionaire status in the shortest possible time. That is why it will be of great benefit to those who will queue into this project at this level of its infancy stage, so that no one will have to sit one day and say had I known. Of course, the world has gone so digital and sophisticated in a way that people who will be reckoned with tomorrow will not be permanent secretaries and civil servants who are directors, but it will be captains of industries, those who own plantations of palm trees, farmers with hectares of rice farms, and so on.

Palm tree plantation is by far a better agricultural endeavor than planting yams and Soya beans and ground nuts like our people have known, this is because, palm trees last way longer than a yam farm that it’s life span goes just within one year, it is possible to harvest from a single palm tree up to 3 times a year, so you can imagine when you have like just a hundred palm trees and you have to harvest three times from each every year, you know that you will be on your way to the bank smiling like your cheeks will open wide unto the ears.

Of course Benue state is an agricultural state and the governor is aware of this, that is why supporting agriculture has been one of the paramount concerns of the governor Alia’s administration, it is reason why soon as the governor got sworn in, he had subsidize the prices of fertilizers and insecticides in the state so farmers when they buy it at cheap prices, they will be able to cultivate bigger farms large enough to be able to not just feed the family but it can also be monetized and sold to both nearby markets and even outside of the state.

Governor Alia’s administration is working very hard to secure the future of Benue and it’s people, such projects like this particular Alia palm project is very futuristic, only if our people are able to see through the genuine intentions of the governor and act accordingly, we will not only have too much oil in Benue state for ourselves but also will be known as the biggest exporter of palm oil and it’s products as well, with the rich soil that Benue is blessed with and the agriculture tradition of the people, Benue will surely emerge the number one exporter of palm oil from Africa.