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Ph:DR: Official launch of the 4th edition of the campaign to plant subsidized oil palm seedlings
The Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries officially launched the 4th edition of the campaign to plant subsidized oil palm seedlings on Friday, June 2, 2023 in the village Kpoto in the commune of Zagnanado. It was on the farm of producer Innocent SEKOU.
Two figures can characterize this event: 125,000 seedlings subsidized for the benefit of oil palm planters for the installation of 1,700 hectares of palm groves for the 2023-2024 agricultural campaign. The support of the National Oil Palm Sector Development Plan (PNDF PH) consists of providing 50% of the seedlings necessary for the installation of the selected area; the beneficiaries for their part bring the counterpart of 50% while committing to strictly respect the technical itineraries for the management of a selected oil palm plantation.
At the launch of the campaign in Zagnanado, the Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries specified that this is an opportunity to be seized by planters, indeed everyone. “Let us express our satisfaction and our gratitude to the Head of State who has been able, methodically, to program crops and speculations with high added values that would allow the country to get to work. Among others, there is the oil palm. These speculations necessarily bring more to the national economy and to the planters. And I would like each of us to be able to take advantage of this opportunity to register for the long term, to prepare for the evening of our lives. Agriculture is not only corn, rice, soybeans, but there are also perennial plants. And this is one of the reasons why the farmer must be able to prepare for his peaceful retirement. The second retirement is breeding. And the third is investment in human capital,” said Gaston Cossi DOSSOUHOUI. The Minister of Agriculture also took the opportunity to call for good understanding between planters and breeders for productive complementarity.
Recognizing the relevance of the Large Plantation Program set up by the Government via the Ministry in charge of Agriculture, Mr. Innocent SEKOU, planter whose site hosted the launch ceremony of the campaign and the symbolic planting of the seedlings , admitted that “finally, the Head of State is the good Samaritan of Beninese farmers”.
The operation began in 2021 in the development hubs. From 2021 to 2023, it has enabled the establishment of 387,628 palm seedlings for an installed area of 5,300 hectares, including 548 hectares by women. The program has already impacted 2,375 beneficiaries, including 256 women. All for a total cost of 426,390,800 FCFA. The planting of seeds for the benefit of the nurseries relocated to the Rural Development Cooperatives (CAR) has enabled the installation of approximately 4,000 hectares of felled plots that have not been replanted.
By 2025, the Government wants to achieve the installation of 25,000 hectares of new palm groves, the improvement of at least 20% of the average yield and the improvement of the transformation by the refinery and the soap factory for the satisfaction of the market. national and that of the sub-region.
This operation is carried out by the Territorial Agricultural Development Agency of pole 6.
