Pepesa: Eighteen farmers from Pepesa in the Prestea Huni-Valley Municipality have established an oil palm nursery production company, 'Ecopalms GH', with assistance from the Gold Fields Ghana Foundation (GFGF). The initiative includes fifteen women and three men who have successfully cultivated 24,000 high-quality oil palm seedlings. Of these, 23,000 will be purchased by the Foundation and distributed to 500 farmers over three years, while the farmers will seek buyers for the remaining 1,000 seedlings.
According to Ghana News Agency, Mr. Abdel-Razak Yakubu, Executive Secretary of GFGF, explained that Ecopalms GH was formed to provide local seedlings after realizing the prolonged journey to Kade in the Eastern Region affected the quality and cost of seedlings. The people of Pepesa provided land for the nursery, and the Business Resource Division in the Prestea Huni-Valley Municipality guided the farmers through the company's setup process, ensuring they met the required standards.
Mr. Yakubu revealed that GFGF invested GHS180,000 in the project, which spanned eight months. The Foundation purchases each seedling for GHS12, generating GHS280,000 in revenue for the company. Although GFGF buys the seedlings at a reduced price due to their initial support, the seedlings hold a market value of GHS27 each. He emphasized the Foundation's commitment to offering sustainable opportunities to host communities, reducing reliance on risky illegal mining activities.
Looking ahead, Mr. Yakubu announced plans for a new coconut production project by the Foundation. Dr. Isaac Danso, Director at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research-Oil Palm Research Institute (CSIR-OPRI), highlighted the importance of oil palm as Ghana's second-largest cash crop, with a current production deficit of 50,000 metric tonnes. He assured that Ecopalms GH's use of certified planting materials from CSIR would boost productivity and help bridge the supply-demand gap.
Dr. Danso expressed intentions to partner with Ecopalms GH, potentially formalizing the collaboration through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to provide technological support. Mr. Solomon Quaicoe, Director of Ecopalms GH, expressed gratitude to GFGF for their support and pledged to continue benefiting farmers nationwide.
