RMRDC distributes improved castor seedlings

The Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC) has distributed improved castor seed varieties enough to cultivate 15 hectares of land to farmers in the South-West geopolitical zone.

Speaking at the seed distribution on Wednesday in Ibadan, RMRDC Director-General, Prof. Hussain Ibrahim, said that the distribution fell under the council’s agricultural raw materials boosting programme in which farmers were provided with improved seeds/seedlings.

Ibrahim, represented by the Lagos RMRDC Coordinator, Mr Tokunbo Habib, said that the purpose was to enhance production of agricultural based raw materials with a view to sustaining raw materials availability to manufacturing industries.

According to him, castor seed is one of these agricultural commodities in which Nigeria has comparative advantage in cultivation and processing, as the crop has a global versatile raw material.

He added that castor was an industrial crop with high demand from China, Brazil, India and many South American countries.

“There are huge potential for local cultivation and output of the crop in Nigeria, which is why RMRDC is boosting farmer’s capacity to cultivate and produce the commodity from South-West as well as in the North-West.

“To ease the drudgery associated with castor shelling, the council imported two castor shellers in 2017; one was given to members of Castor Producers, Processors and Marketers Association (CPPMA).

“Also, a consortium of local engineers is currently working on the design and fabrication of the other machine,’’ he said.

Ibrahim said that being the first time, the council would ensure that whatever quantities of castor seeds cultivated by farmers are procured at ongoing rates by off-takers that have the capacity to process into oil and other derivatives.

Also speaking, Dr Ayobami Omotoso, President, Chartered Institute of Export and Commodity Brokers of Nigeria, said that there was a high industrial demand for castor oil, which includes automobile industry as hydraulic, break-fluid, pharmaceutical industries used to produce laxatives.

He added that the highest application was in the cosmetic sector (in the formulation of various body, hair treatments and soap production).

“It’s better to secure our farmers’ interest and proffer solutions to key into creating raw materials to feed the springing industries with castor seeds.

“A failed supply of castor seeds to meet the increasing demands of processing industries will only limit our aid to exploiting the crop’s potential.

“We desire to have the best possible experience recorded among you, those who excel in processing and marketing in Nigeria can aspire to export to diaspora in order to earn foreign exchange,’’ he said.

Speaking on behalf of Castor Growers and Marketers Association of Nigeria, Dr Opoola Ade, said that the distribution and kind gesture was the first of its kind in 15 years.

Ade lauded the RMRDC for coming to the rescue of the castor farmers, describing the opportunity as a golden one.

“This is an experiment but at least it is on record that we have started in a good way.

“So we urge our farmers to make sure that they maximise this great opportunity to attract more of such, anyone who delivers successfully will have opportunity to benefit next time,’’ he said.

The highlights of the event included presentation on best agronomic practices in castor seeds production and tour to demonstration farm.