31/08/2012 (Daily Times Nigeria) - The Ondo State Government has cultivated 800,000 improved varieties of oil palm seedlings in three agricultural villages to enhance palm oil production in the state.

Governor Olusegun Mimiko said that the state had brought experts from Malaysia in the introduction of new improved oil palm seedlings in the state.

"It is the beginning of our oil palm revolution and our target is that in the next four years, Ondo State will be the highest oil palm producing state in Africa," he said. "We want to embark on large-scale oil palm production by next year.

We will engage other private partnerships in our mass oil palm plantation so as to enhance their production and productivity in oil palm. We will continue to increase the capacity of agribusiness and also bring more experts as suggested by farmers’ commission to enhance the value that will create agro-business."

According to the state's Commissioner for Agriculture, Ademola Olorunfemi, the state is also collaborating with the World Bank, African Development Bank, and the federal government in financing agriculture and food security programmes.