Expert Seeks Conversion Of Delta Rubber To Palm Plantations

A call has gone to the Rivers State Government to convert the state owned Delta Robber Company to Oil Palm Plantations for better viability.

Dr. Eleoke Chikwe Chukwuigwe of the Department of Agriculture and Applied Economics of the Rivers State University of Science and technology,  Port Harcourt made the call yesterday in an interview with The Tide in his office.

The don explained that the call had become imperative in view of the obvious and consistent drop of rubber value in the world market.

Dr. Chikwuigwe said, “petroleum synthetic has taken over the role of rubber which was highly needed in transport and other sectors”, adding that fibre had become a more viable alternative leading to remarkable drop in the world market demand for rubber.

The university lecturer commended Governor Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi for leasing the state owned Risonpalm to private company as, according to him, the step would revitalise the moribund palm company.

Dr. Chikwuigwe who is a consultant to Risonpalm further stated that he recommended earlier that leasing out Risonpalm remained the best option.

He however expressed the urgent need for owners of land in the area to be incorporated in the company’s shareholding, even as minority board members to check palm fruit stealing, burning and other activities of the locals on the life of the company as well as to give the people a sense of belonging.

Emphasising that the potentials of Risonpalm were very high, the Agric-Economics expert attributed the down-turn in Risonpalm to poor management, stressing that government all over the world was not a good manager of businesses.

With the leasing out of the company, hope is now high that the state government’s objective of establishing the company which is one of the biggest palm companies in West African sub-region can now be actualised.

Chris Oluoh