A new model to enhance production and marketing of Palm Oil, has been adopted by the Silver Back Company Limited (SBC Ltd). The new palm oil milling model aims at maximizing profit for the company while improving the livelihood of the communities adjacent to protected areas. The redefinition of the strategies for the project comes as a result of negative profits the project is incurring for the past two palm oil production seasons.

Information of the new model was disclosed in a development workshop with the mill operators, cooperative members and other villagers producing palm oil in the communities were SBC Ltd operates. The workshop took place recently in Besali, Lebialem Division, Southwest Cameroon.

According to the Manager of SBC ltd, Ignatius Njom, the new strategy consists of restructuring and mobilising the farmers within the confines of the existing cooperatives, to produce the highest quantity and quality of palm nuts.

“SBC Ltd will transport the palm nuts to the milling site at a limited cost .Only considerablequantity of oil will be purchased, hence, main focus will be diverted to the mobilisation of farmers to produce nuts. Buyers will also be organised to buy top quality palm oil at the mills one to two days per week.With this approach in place, the negative profits will be reversed and we will be reaping some substantial profits,” Ignatius Njom said.

The SBC ltd boss decried the influence peddling attitudes of some Nigerian buyers, causing prices to increase even at deficient quality. With all these challenges he said, warranted for a new production and marketing strategy.

“The palm oil prices witnessed an increase in the community from 11,000 FCFA to 13,500 FCFA over and above the market prices in towns. Also, the high prices at the level of the communities in which Silver Back Company has no influence on it as well as the stiff competition from other buyers from Nigeria worsen matters as purchase price is on a steady increase irrespective of the quality. So we adopted this new model to counteract all those negative influences, hence, keeping SBC ltd at the centre of business in the communities,” Njom said.

Meantime, members of cooperatives dealing in the palm oil sector, have expressed total happiness with the coming of this new model. According to them, the model will go a long to improve the palm oil business climate in Lebialem, hence, putting additional income in the community members.

“We are so grateful for this new model. We are extremely happy for the putting at our disposal, a transportation mechanism that will cost us little or nothing. This will greatly facilitate our production process, hence, reducing the cost of production. We urge those who are still lagging behind to join us and maximise profit from this new SBC model,” indicated Forkwai Zachariah, Secretary General of the Lower Mundani Farmers’Cooperative.

Silverback Company Limited is the “Business Division” of the Environment and Rural Development Foundation(ERuDeF). It was founded in 2013 as a legal entity governed by the business laws of the Republic of Cameroon. The company aims to support the conservation activities and social development around key conservation sites in Cameroon.

By: Ignatius Njom