The Kogi State Government has launched a climate-resilient oil palm production training aimed at equipping farmers with modern agricultural techniques to combat the effects of climate change.
The workshop held at the Auditorium of the College of Agriculture, Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Kabba, Kogi State, was declared open by the Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Timothy Ojoma who was represented by the Director of Agricultural Services, Kunle Agbana
The Commissioner emphasized that unpredictable rainfall and shifting farming calendars necessitate urgent training for farmers to maintain productivity and high quality in oil palm production.
He reaffirmed Governor Usman Ahmed Ododo’s commitment to agricultural development, citing the successful tractorization of over 8,000 hectares of farmlands and support for 88,000 farmers with free inputs in the past year, with an expansion plan to cover at least 16,000 hectares this year.
Ojoma urged farmers in the state to embrace sustainable agricultural practices and traceability systems to meet international standards, stressing that the future of oil palm production in Kogi State is one that is standardized, traceable, and exportable thereby signaling a new era of agro-economic growth for the state.
Similarly, Director of Research and Head of Extension and Economics at the Nigerian Institute for Oil Palm Research (NIFOR), Olusegun Solomon, emphasized the vast potential of oil palm to generate wealth, create jobs, and strengthen agro-industrial value chains.
He noted that every part of the oil palm tree holds economic value, including the palm kernel shells which he noted is now in high demand globally.
Solomon announced the distribution of 1,000 improved oil palm seedlings worth ₦2.5 million to farmers in Kogi west senatorial district with plans to replicate the initiative in Kogi East in the coming weeks.
Also speaking, Chairman of the Kogi West Oil Palm Multi-Purpose Cooperative Society, Moses Olorunnipa, commended the initiative as a game-changer for local farmers and Nigerian youth.
He urged young people in the state to collaborate, invest in processing and harvesting equipment, and tap into the vast and untapped potential of the oil palm industry for sustainable income and job creation.
The workshop & training brought together stakeholders, farmers, and agricultural experts to address challenges posed by unpredictable weather conditions and shifting farming calendars.
