Minister Keynote Address :

Investment Opportunities in Palm Oil & Rubber Plantations in Ghana

Hon. Yaw Effah-Baafi, Deputy Minister
Ministry of Food & Agriculture, Ghana

Liberia: Role of Oil Palm Investments and Investors in Rural Prosperity Building

and Food Security

Hon. Dr. Florence Chenoweth, Minister
Ministry of Agriculture of Liberia

West Africa known as the Palm Oil Continent of the region has attracted investments from many multi billion dollar companies for the development of oil palm plantations in the past 2-3 years.

"Olam to Spend $250 Million on Gabon Palm-Oil Project."

19 Jan 2012, Bloomberg

"Sime Darby Plantations makes foray into Liberia."

28 May 2011 . The Star online

Golden Veroleum (Liberia) Inc - GVL - is developing more than 200,000 hectaresof Oil Palm In West Africa
Feb 25, 2012, Agro Asia

Indonesia and Malaysia who alone represents 85% of the world's palm oil production can no longer dispose of land enough to meet the demand of a market that is currently estimated to $52, 2 billion a year.

To meet the robust global demand for the commodity Asian and European industries are looking towards West Africa, for new land. With favourable climatic and soil conditions, Governments in West and Central Africa are offering attractive land acquisition terms for developing oil palm plantations in the continent.

Many challenges need to be addressed.

Despite its agricultural potential, Africa remains a marginal producer with only two million tonnes produced per year. What agronomy specificities for West Africa ? What are the improved planting materials for this region.

As the palm oil industry expands to the region, so has its public profile, resulting in intense scrutiny from local populations and NGOs. How sustainable are these expansion projects ? AfDB (Africa Development Bank) currently considering a possible loan to finance a palm oil project concedes that, in arguing on sustainability "One should also consider the global socio-economic effects, "the infrastructure for transports, the number of jobs created and the compensation rates of displaced populations".

Presenting 2 keynote speeches from the Agriculture Minister of Ghana and Liberia, CMT's Palm Oil conference in Africa discuss pertinent issues and challenges on Investing in Palm Oil plantations in West Africa.

Key Highlights

• Land Law - leasehold or freehold; types of tenure; Indigenous Peoples' Rights (IPR)
• Training & Development - Localization of staff
• Logistics challenges - is there available infrastructure within plantation ?
• Financing - mobilisation of official development aid, private equity and access to commercial debt
• Developments in improved quality planting materials
• Drought & Disease resistant oil palm seeds
• Crop Improvement in Ghana and Wild Oil Palm Germplas research
• Palm oil plantation experience in Liberia, Gabon, Ghana, Sierra Loene, Cote de Ivoire and many more

Join us at this exciting event.
Register your team and enjoy bundle discounts.
Contact hafizah at hafizah@cmtsp.com.sg

"Pack with knowledge, informative and passionate speakers"
PT Minamas

"An excellent platform for planters, researchers and senior plantation management to exchange and share experiences"
TH Plantations

"Overall the conference was very informative and opportunity to meet people with similar interest"
Godrej Agrovet

"It is most useful to us to learn that our presentation was appreciated the majority of the audience. We indeed enjoyed the meeting ourselves, being very well organized, containing a great diversity of topics in this emerging field and with good opportunities to meet with a number of people from the industry."
Keygene