, speaks on how changes in rainfall patterns and other issues have impacted oil palm production in Nigeria.
Our practices have not changed. Somebody might say it is because of practices. Maybe usage of more chemicals. But we don't. We are actually actively reducing the quantity of chemical usage in our plantation. The short-term strategy is to try to track the kind of pests which are now coming up and try to understand their ecology and biology, so as to manage them better. The second one has to do with the fact that we have to reduce chemical usage like I said earlier on and look at more eco-friendly chemicals which we are still investigating. Also, we are now concentrating on soil health to see how we can improve the soil that we have. Those are short-term.
PT: Has there been a time or period of the year when you expected a larger production output but there was a decline?Of course, there have been periods like that. Like I told you, in our place, yields have been dropping over the past three years. It is not very very big, but we do notice it. This can have a significant impact on our bottom line because we have buyers of our products and we might give them forecasts which are not realised. Therefore, we need to note all these issues.
I just gave you an example. If a man is using chemicals, he should know about the impact of such on the environment and the quantities he has to use. I remember meeting a farmer who said she uses half a litre of glyphosate in 20 litres of water. This means she is using about a five or six per cent mixing rate , whereas we use a one per cent mixing rate. And her argument is simple; she kills everything that is a competitor to her plants.
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