Ondo govt ínagurates JB Farms’s 10,000 oil palm plantation

Farm to employ over 40,000 workers The Ondo State government has inaugurated a 10,000-hectare commercial oil palm plantation owned by JB Farms Limited. The state governor, Mr Rotimi Akeredolu, inaugurated the plantation by planting the first oil palm tree on the farm in Ore, on Tuesday. On completion, the integrated mill is projected to employ […]

• Farm to employ over 40,000 workers

The Ondo State government has inaugurated a 10,000-hectare commercial oil palm plantation owned by JB Farms Limited.

The state governor, Mr Rotimi Akeredolu, inaugurated the plantation by planting the first oil palm tree on the farm in Ore, on Tuesday.

On completion, the integrated mill is projected to employ no fewer than 10,000 direct and 30,000 indirect workers through the value chain. The farm will also pay a yearly royalty to the state government.

Governor Akeredolu expressed satisfaction that the state was considered for the agribusiness, and commended the investor.

He said: “This is a farm that we are projecting to stand on a total land area of 10,000 hectares and more and this is just the first one. I believe that it will be more than this. I am saying this because we are on a path to uncover the effects of having this farm. 

“Today, I am super-excited to be a part of this occasion, particularly because I will be planting the first seedling on this farm. I am really honoured to be a participant and I envision that this establishment will facilitate job creation.

“As of today, we have given about 70,000 hectares to investors; about five or six of them.

“We also recognise that the tree crops value chain is the one of the foremost areas where we have comparative advantage. We are committed to improving and multiplying the production of three crops such as cocoa, oil palm, cashew, rubber and coffee.

“These strategies are also to improve the means of livelihood of the people of Ondo State.”

Managing Director of JB Farms Limited, Mr Ajibola Bankole Adebutu, narrating how the state facilitated the project, said: “We have been operating out of Ogun State for quite a while and we have been looking for opportunities to expand our operations. We reached out to one or two other states but maybe they saw us as small boys and they were not interested. But one fateful day last year, I had the opportunity to meet Ondo State Governor, Mr Rotimi Akeredolu.

“And, I prepared all my speech and I sat in front of him and I gave the best of speech I have ever given in my life, and when I finished all my story, he said: ‘there is something wrong with your presentation’, my heart sank and he said, ‘you are the one who wants to come and invest in my state, I should be the one begging you and not you begging me’.”

He commended the government for not underestimating his capacity as an indigenous player and for giving his firm an opportunity, saying, “and I hope by the little we have done, we have been able to make you proud.”

He disclosed that the 10,000 hectares would be developed within five years and the firm intends to make it an integrated farm producing not only crude palm oil but also a range of other ancillary products.

Adebutu said: “Now, we have been here for about just over eight months and we have been able to clear just over 1,500 hectares of land, which we will start to plant by the beginning of June once the rains are steady.

“We have the nursery with seedlings now and we intend to finish planting them by the end of August and then we will start another nursery with 400,000 seedlings. The plan is to develop 2000 hectares every year until all the land is used up and built a 60-tonne per hour palm processing plant and also have steam generating turbans to produce electricity for the whole estate, using the waste that we produce. So, we intend to be quite eco-friendly.”

Also commenting, the Senior Special Assistant to Ondo State Governor on Agribusiness, Mr Akin Olotu, commended the investor for a bold step in the oil palm investment in the state.

Olotu said: “We all realise the importance of what is happening today, but I am bold to say that Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu SAN, has brought back the lost glory of Ondo State.

“Several years back, the Okitipupa Oil Palm was the largest in West Africa, but along the line, it went down the drains. We thank God it is coming up; it is not just coming up today, but the ‘Red Gold policy’ of Mr. Akeredolu is repositioning Ondo State, not just for now but for the coming years.”

He disclosed that with the integration of oil mills into the farm, the JB Oil Palm plantation would directly and indirectly employ over 40,000 people minimum.

The CBN governor, represented by Head, Perennial Crops (cocoa, oil palm tree, and cashew), Mr Abdul Razak, said JB Farms is the only indigenous oil palm company in Nigeria that partners with the apex bank successfully.

He said: “I can boldly say in CBN as of today, our greatest partner is JB Farms. We have partnered with them in other areas, especially in Ogun and Cross River states, where they cultivated 4,500 hectares while assessing CBN intervention funds.

“Of course, the loans have been fully repaid, and I can tell you that they are doing passionately and wonderfully well,” he said.