The Environment and Rural Development Foundation, ERuDeF has donated an oil mill processing plant to the people of Essoh-Attah, a Fondom in the Lebialem Highlands, SW Cameroon. The installation which is a third in the series of alternative livelihood support following those of Nkong and Besali in Wabane sub division took place on January 29, 2013. The giant palm oil processing plant was installed in the Fondom of Essoh-Attah within the Mak-Betchou forest landscape as conservation support by the leading NGO, ERuDeF.
The industrial plant is designed to boil and process palm nuts into edible oil for both local and international consumption. It is made up of an 8000liters capacity boiler powered by a local oven, a press powered by a diesel run engine, a filtering chamber, a dehydrator chamber and finally a storage tank.
The processing plant has a capacity of processing over 2 tons of crude palm oil daily and has been seen as a rational livelihood development alternative to the palm rich community. The solemn ceremony was witnessed amongst other dignitaries by HRH, Fon of Fotabong III.
It would be recalled that the Essoh-Attah Fondom just like other villages in the Lebialem Highlands have for decades relied on the traditional method of milling palm nuts by smashing the nuts with their feet and sticks. This led to a low quality and quantity of palm oil produced. It is hoped that with the coming of this giant oil mill, the people of Essoh-Attah would realize an improvement in the quality and quantity of oil thereby improving their livelihoods. The coming of this innovation is therefore a new dawn in the lives of the natives of Essoh-Attah.
It is worthy to note that for over a decade now, the Environment and Rural Development Foundation has been working towards the conservation of the endangered Cross River Gorillas and Nigeria Cameroon Chimpanzees in the Lebialem Highlands, an area where 80% of its population is made of farmers and hunters. The provision of this oil mill is one of the organisation’s objectives to reduce pressure on the forest and give them an alternative source of livelihood through other income generating activities like the large scale production of oil mill.
By Hodu Forbe
