17/01/2008 (AllAfrican.com) - The General Manager of the Cameroon Development Corporation, CDC, on Friday, January 11, launched a giant five-year development project, the Boa Plain Oil Palm Development Project, BPOPDP.

CDC General Manager, Henry Njalla Quan, and a host of other top officials of the Corporation were together at Illoani, Bamuso Sub Division in Ndian, on Friday, where the launching took place.

Coming at the backdrop of a growing increase in the demand for palm oil in the world market, it is expected by 2011, CDC will be producing some 20,000 tons of palm oil annually. This quantity, according to the Corporation's Plan and Development Manager, Henry Becke, will be up from a current output of some 14,000 tons.

The Boa plain, where the Illoani Oil Palms Estate is located, covers some 13 villages and it is said to be very fertile for the cultivation of oil palms. At present, the Estate has some 4,000 hectares of oil palms. With the take off of the Boa plain project, the CDC aims to increase the total acreage to 10,000 in the next five years.

The General Manager re-echoed the fact that the Corporation in the months ahead will begin the construction of a new oil mill in the area. The mill, which will bring to three the number CDC owns, is planned to go operational by the end of 2009.

At the moment, the only functioning oil milling plant of the Corporation is that at Idenau following the shut down of the one at Mondoni in September. It was disclosed during the January 4th Management meeting of the Corporation that the Mondoni Mill will to be switched on again in March, this year, when repairs must have been concluded.

Njalla Quan added that the project will also have an opening for the employment of some 3000 workers.CDC, according to the GM, is now tilting towards expanding development towards the rural areas in what he said was in a bid to curb rural to urban migration by the youths.

He said that as part of the project, housing for workers, like those started off in the Matouke/Pendaboko Estates will also be constructed for the workers besides other social amenities.

As to the financing of this huge development move,Njalla Quan, said the money was part of the Corporation's proceeds that they would be ploughing back and not a loan as such.

The Boa Plain project is just one among other development moves that the GM announced earlier on January 4, during the Corporation's bi-annual Management meeting.

The Board Chairman of the Corporation, Chief Henry Namata Elangwe, hailed the project and strongly wished that the project will soon become a reality as it will usher in development to the area.

On behalf of the local Chiefs of the area, Joseph Teke urged the CDC to consider releasing some of the land to the villages for their own development.