Dr Christian Obiazi of Delta State University, has advised the state government to encourage oil palm production for job creation under its “Delta Beyond Oil” agenda.

Obiazi told newsmen in Asaba that the exploitation of the state’s potential in oil palm production would also increase government revenue.

He said that Delta had potential to produce oil palm in commercial quantity for export and to earn foreign exchange.

He said that the government needed to open up land and build farm settlements with modern infrastructure to encourage farmers to stay in the settlements.

“There is more to gain from oil palm production. About the Malaysian experience, the Malaysians were into rubber production but they said that mono-cultural economy is not okay so they diversified it and brought in oil palm.

“If you look at the environment in Malaysia it is tropical rain forests and that is what we have in this part of the country; so most of the conditions that are suitable for oil palm production are here for us,’’ Obiazi said.

He said that to revive oil palm production in the country, all stakeholders must accept changes, adopt scientific approaches , while government must be consistent with its policy on agriculture.

“In 2002 government banned oil palm importation and in 2005 it reversed the policy. At the time of the ban, people were beginning to be very much interested in oil palm production.

“People started opening up land, seedlings and employment started boosting in that sector but with the ban, it became another thing entirely,’’ he said.

Obiazi said that it was unfortunate that the country that was a net exporter of oil palm products became a net importer of the products.

He said that the government had a major role to play by acquiring land and paying compensation to landowners in order to boost the production of oil palm.