Agwu Udensi, national president, Genuine High yield Farmers Association of Nigeria, has appealed to Okezie Ikpeazu, Abia State governor, to replace damaged boiler of the Okpara Oil Mill at Amokwe Item in Bende local government of the state.
Udensi said that if the damaged boiler is replaced, the mill will boost palm oil production in the state.
He revealed this while conducting newsmen round, saying that the mill was established by the late premier of Eastern Nigeria, Michael through FADAMA project in 1952.
Udensi said the mill presently has a production capacity of 12 drums of oil per day, which will increase to six tonnes per day if the old boiler is replaced.
He disclosed that the Boiler of the mill broke down as result of old age and was partially repaired leading to skeletal services, pleading with the state government for assistance to enable the group contribute to make Abia the major palm oil producing state in Nigeria.
Also speaking during the occasion, some palm oil producers, including Ngozi Udensi, Ola Elekwa, OluchiIsaac, Ndidi Osondu, Udensi Thomas and an 84 year old widow, Mgbafor Agu, who work in the Mill lamented that the breakdown of the mill had affected their production capacity
and passionately pleaded with Governor Ikpeazu for quick intervention so as to alleviate them from sufferings.
In an interview with one Francis Ike from Imo state, a Palm oil marketer who said he had been buying oil from the mill for decades, described palm oil from Abia as the best in Nigeria and called for quick repair of the mill to boost palm oil production.
