13-15 Oct, 2015 - Accra, GHANA
Labadi Beach Hotel
Labadi Beach Hotel
Ghana is a net importer of palm oil which means the country buys more palm oil than it produces.
Samuel Awonnea Avaala, President of the Oil Palm Development Association of Ghana (OPDAG) has recently reiterated that Ghana needs to double its palm oil output in the next 10-15 years in order to become self-sufficient and save precious foreign exchange – which is currently used for palm oil imports.
Despite favorable natural resources, Ghana struggles to increase palm oil yield because land acquisition poses as a major hurdle.
OPDAG plans to promote the oil palm industry in Ghana with strong consulting and advocacy to ensure land acquisition becomes attractive to investors and growers.
Samuel has also said that Ghana is flooded with a lot of low quality and sub-standard vegetable oil imports, which is unfair and disadvantageous to the local palm oil industry.
These imported oils negatively impact the refining sector and effects all stakeholders along the value chain, that includes farmers as well as all direct/ indirect dependents in the palm oil sector.
If appropriate duty is imposed, the palm oil sector will be able to attract investors, especially in the plantations which normally come with associated smallholder and outgrower schemes. This in the long run will increase local production of crude palm oil (CPO) and reduce palm oil imports into the country.
Ghana has approximately 10 key plantation companies. But a major chunk of the palm oil industry is formed by the large numbers of smallholders and out-growers. The out-growers in particular account for about 80% of the country’s total palm oil and palm kernel oil production. However, the out-growers are also the least productive in crop yields and lack technical know-how in product quality and extraction rates.
An Official Opening Address on ‘Masterplan for Ghana's Agriculture Industry including New Regulations and Policies for Investment’ will be presented by Hon. Minister Fiifi Kwetey, Minister of Agriculture, Ministry of Food & Agriculture, Ghana at 3rd Africa Palm Oil (Rubber & Cocoa) Summit on 13-15 October, 2015 in Accra, Ghana. Also speaking at the summit is Samuel Avaala, President of Oil Palm Development Association Ghana (OPDAG) about its role in ‘Boosting Palm Oil Production in Ghana’.
Contact Ms. Hafizah at hafizah@cmtsp.com.sg or call +65 6346 9218 for more details.
