The Association of Palm Tree Planters Association of Nigeria (APPON) has said that if the South-East Region of Nigeria wants to rescue itself from the economic quagmire, it must go back to the drawing board.
APPON said that the era of the late Premier of the region, Michael Iheonukara Okpara, when palm trees and all its products became the major source of income for the Old Eastern Nigeria that comprise of all five South-East states and all South-South States except Edo and Delta State remains the best.
APPON, therefore, called on the state Governors and traditional rulers in the South-East to embrace the revolution that is taking place in palm tree planting and change the bad economic status of the region.
The National President of APPON, Apostle Obioma Umeora made this call in Aba, during the celebration of the first anniversary of the organization in Abia State.
Umeora said that APPON is currently in 24 states, but added that 14 states in Nigeria can be regarded as Palm Tree Belts among which the five states in the South East are among.
He lamented that it is disturbing that out of over two hundred million Nigerians, the country cannot boast of having up to one million farmers, which he said is the reason behind reliance on imported products.
Umeora said that the revolution in the palm tree agriculture business is the discovery of the most superior oil palm hybrid called the Supergene which he says can start producing fruits within just two years and can be just seven fits high even at 30 years of existence.
He also said that a tree of the Supergene can produce 25 bunches of palm fruits, produces three times a year and has a longer tree lifecycle of 30 years of fruit-bearing.
He said, “With its ability to produce three times in a year, each tree can give you 75 palm fruits head per year. One bunch of Supergene can give you three litres of palm oil.
“One plot of land can give you ten trees of Supergene trees standing, as a wider gap between the leaf stems results in increase photosynthesis for more robust growth.
“With each tree producing 25 bunches in every harvesting period, multiply it by three times in a year that it produces and then add it to the ten you’ll get in a plot of land.
“You can imagine when you have invested a million in such a hybrid? Do you know what it means? It’s a dwarf type of hybrid. And we sell it at a subsidized rate in APPON,” he said.
He said that due to how serious the issue of poverty disturbs APPON, the association has taken it upon itself after agreement with its partners to begin distributing Supergene hybrid for N1,250 per palm seedling.
Umeora urged the governors that it was palm trees that Dr. Michael Okpara, the Premier of the Old Eastern Region made use of while building the region during the years of its glory.
He charged the Abia and Imo State Governments to think of partnering with APON to take over the moribund Abia Palm plantation at Ohambele-Ndoki, Ukwa East Local Government Area and ADAPALM, to enable them to cut down all the tall and old palm trees, replace them with the Supergene that will help change the history of palm plantation in Abia.
Pastor Tina Nwachukwu, APPON Chairman in Abia State said that the association has come to revolutionize agriculture and also touch the lives of Nigerians by introducing them to a suitable, legal and fruitful way of making legitimate money.
She said that APON has acquired about 388 hectares of land in the Ohafia Local Government Area, acquired another 200 thousand plots of land at Isuikwuato Local Government Area as well.
Pastor Igwe Iheke, the Chairman of the 2020-2021 anniversary committee of APPON, Abia State Chapter said that the first anniversary is a celebration of excellence, as the association has achieved a whole lot in its quest to rediscover and revolutionize a very rich agricultural area, Abia has a comparative advantage in.
