Association Urges Farmers To Acquire Motorised Harvesters

Oil palm farmers in Rivers
State have been called upon to take advantage of the Federal Government’s Initiative through the provision of motorised palm fruit harvesters to farmers across the country.
Making the call in an interview with our correspondent in Port Harcourt, Monday, the chairman of the Palm Oil Millers Association of Nigeria, (POMAN), Ahoada East chapter, Mr Nwaneri Okirigwe said the development would help check wastage in the palm oil industry.
According to him, with the expected bumper harvest of palm fruits in 2015, due to the positive effect on improved palm oil yield from the 2014 harmattan, the use of motorised harvesters was timely.
Nwaneri, who hailed the Federal Government’s effort toward meeting the needs of farmers in the country said farmers, especially the registered ones in the state should not let the opportunity pass them by.
“The era of registered farmers complaining of not having direct access to agricultural input has long been over, due to the e-wallet payment system introduced by the Federal Government,” he said.
He further called on farmers in the state to pull their resources together and work as one to enable them key into the programme and process of acquiring the mootorised harvesting equipment.
Speaking on the need for the provision of agric incentives of farmers, he called on the government to provide fertilizer, improved oil palm seedlings and tractors to farmers at subsidised rate to enable them expand their hectrage.
While calling on the youth to shun social vices, he appealed to them to venture into one form of agri-business or the other to enable them  earn a living.
It could be recalled that the Minister of of Agriculture and Rural Development,  Dr Akiniwumi Adesina had at a recent function announced plans by the federal government to provide motorized palm fruit harvesters to farmers across the country.
He also revealed that the federal government would also make available farm inputs to farmers at  affordable rates to enable them meet their projected targets.