Castor production: Nigeria partners Ghana, China for global market

Castor Seed

In a bit to reduce import bills of over 40billion naira annually expended on castor oil, the Federal Government (FG) has embarked on joining forces with China and Ghana towards best agronomics cultivation and harvest in this crop that will attract international market.

This was revealed by the President, Castor Growers, Processors and Marketers’ Association of Nigeria, Alhaji Lawan Ali who said the local production in the country is now being accelerated in about six states towards import substitution saying the country is in training partnership with China and Ghana so as to attain best agronomic ways of planting and harvesting the seeds of the crop.

Alhaji Ali speaking with Food Farm News said  joining forces with two other producing countries to enhance production and harvesting in global way was the first of its kind in recent time as Nigeria has joined the rest of the world in area of training in this crop, pointed that his association about two months ago with Raw Material Research Development Council (RMRDC)  support was able to attend a training on best agronomics way of planting castor while the one for harvesting would be coming up by January also in Ghana as other producing countries will be in attendance.   

According to Alhaji Ali “you will know we spend over 40 billion naira importing castor seeds and other derivatives. The Federal government is doing everything to stop that as producing states are now increasing production with best agronomics training from Ghana in about two month ago before planting. Now that the time of harvesting is very close, Nigeria also will join forces with China and Ghana on best global ways to harvest castor seeds in a modern ways so as to reduce wastages. This training will take place at NkronzaBrog, Northern part of Ghana by January 5^th 2017. Experts from other part of the world will also join in this training of modern way of harvesting”.

“With this arrangement Nigeria is now getting to the global network of the castor value chain where benefit of International market will be opened to Nigeria. Castor has over 1000 applications such as pharmaceutical, electrical and electronics oil, textile, paint, inks, aircraft lubricant which helps planes to withstand both cold and hot temperatures that is  -150 and +415 respectively”.

He however enjoined the FG to ensure the registration of the castor crop in the global network because the benefits attached to being a member in the area of grants and training development is very enormous that Nigeria cannot afford to be left out while he commended the effort of the Bank of Agriculture for the soft loan given towards cultivation for 2016/17.