Investments, social amenities!

The SG-SOC intends to plant 2,500 hectares in 2015, 4,500 hectares in 2016, 5,000 hectares in 2017 and 4,000 hectares in 2018.

Also, the company plans to support smallholders to develop some 10,000 hectares for 15 tonnes of palm oil per hectare. To marry production with processing, the company intends to install a mini mill to refine five tonnes of oil per hour to be upgraded to 60 tonnes per hour in Nguti. In Mundemba a 45 tons per hour mill with two lines is envisaged.

What is urgently expected from government is the construction of a bridge over River Madie to link the two blocks of Nguti and Ndian, capacity building for local communities and the appointment of a focal point in government to liaise with SG-SOC. The various Ministries implicated in the Commission include the Economy, Planning and Regional Development (chair), Agriculture and Rural Development, Forestry and Wildlife, Property and Land Tenure, Finance as well as Environment and Nature Protection.

The planting surface approved for SG-SOC covers not more than 30 per cent of useable land in 22 villages harbouring the investment. It does not, by expert explanation, encroach on land under exploitation by villagers. Yet many amenities were explored by SG-SOC in concurrence with host communities for the benefit of the local population.

Such included the provision of 26 full board scholarships, donation of reference textbooks to 21 secondary schools in the nine Sub-divisions of Ndian, malaria fighting mosquito nets to households in the project areas, opening and rehabilitation of roads to disenclave the areas costing FCFA 451,664,538, drilling of eight boreholes, electricity for Fabe and Lipenja and FCFA 55 million free medical care.

There will be integrated pest management techniques, zero burning method for land clearing and preparation, protection of water courses partnering with other agencies for renewable energy source from biomass generated during land preparation.