Dufil Prima Food Plc recently broke ground for a palm oil processing refinery in Item, Bende LGA of Abia State in Nigeria.
The plant by Dufil Prima Food is in response to the directive from Central Bank of Nigeria to manufacturers using palm produce to explore available raw materials and establish their own plants for backward integration.
Dufil Prima Foods Plc has received a 1040-hectare oil palm farm in lease from Amokwe and Okai villages of Item to source its raw materials.
In essence, there will be three sides to the project - acquiring virgin land, building a processing mill and leasing existing palm trees from the communities. Dufil will be sourcing raw materials from the Item communities for use in the company’s oil mills until its own palm trees start fruiting.
Dufil Prima Foods Plc currently imports palm raw materials for products such as Indomie Noodles and Power Oil.
Find out more about palm oil processing in Africa at CMT’s 6th Africa Oil Palm & Rubber Summit on 8-9 May 2019 in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire.