13/04/2023 (The National) - STATISTICS for the oil palm industry since the enactment of the Oil Palm Industry Corporation Act of 1992 have shown a steady increase in production and exports of crude palm oil.

Farmers and Settlers Association president Wilson Thompson commended the Oil Palm Industry Corporation (Opic) for running extension and training services as well as encouraging and facilitating infrastructure (roads and bridges) development in oil palm-growing districts and provinces.

He applauded Opic for providing statistics on its industry in the provinces and this was something other commodity boards needed to do.

“The Hargy plantations and New Britain Palm Oil that are engaged in the plantations and buying and processing have done a remarkable job in the oil palm industry which has resulted in a high value in return of the sector,” Thompson said.

“We also note value adding in oil palm by processing kernels as stock feed for the cattle industry, cooking oil and starch for the food processing industry and this will assist the Government’s import substitution policy.”

Thompson said oil palm fruits produced by smallholders increased steadily from 769,831 metric tonnes in 2019 to 819,356 metric tonnes last year.

He said income for farmers grew from K405 million in 2020, to K760 million in 2021 and increased to almost a billion (K964 million) last year.

“Smallholder farmers in West New Britain, Northern, New Ireland and Milne Bay, were supported by the estates and buyers who processed their oil palms fruits into crude palm oil for export.

The production of crude palm oil increased in volume from 558 metric tonnes in 2020 generating K1.3 billion to 678 metric tonnes last year generating K2.8 billion in revenue.”

He noted that oil palm development had also expanded from the traditional provinces to the East Sepik and Sandaun, East New Britain, Morobe and Madang. Thompson said the Opic Act needed to be reviewed as it was established to cater for training and extension services for smallholders that supplied the estates in the oil palm growing provinces.

He urged the Government to protect and promote the industry.

The industry is only supported by local economies but also provides feed for the cattle industry, and products for the local food processing industry as well as cooking oil for the domestic market.

https://www.thenational.com.pg/oil-palm-industry-growing/