SPECIAL INITIATIVE ON OIL PALM IN DANGER AS SCIENTISTS GOOF RESEARCH

The President’s oil palm plantation initiative is in danger as the Council wrongly cross bred the hybrid variety meant for the project for Scientific and Industrial Research (SIR). The researchers failed to allow insects to contact the mother oil palm during cross breeding.

Dr. Ampem Dakyi Agyei, National President of Research Scientists Association, disclosed to the FREE PRESS in an interview in Accra that this fault makes it difficult for the palm to bear fruit, and that it could only be used as ornamental plant useful for decoration thereby making the whole research exercise go to waste.

He said even though the Minister of Food and Agriculture, retired Major Courage Quashigah’s attention has been drawn to this lapse, the Minister has still given the go ahead to farmers to plant the seedlings.