Vegetable oil producers in Bayelsa State under the aegis of Oil mills operators of Bayelsa State (OMOB), have charged the state government to provide them with incentives to continue staying in business.
Speaking with newsmen in Yenagoa, a senior member of the group and Managing-Director of Aprisco mills, Mr Cletus Apiri called on the government to amongst other things encourage the production and milling of good vegetable oil for consumption in the state.
He berated the government for not adequately monitoring the influx of adulterated vegetable oil from neighbouring states to the state, saying there is inherent danger in the consumption of fake oil.
He said if the state would make progress in the value chain of the vegetable oil industry, then it must address the challenges facing local Millers.
Apiri identified lack of adequate funding, high cost of production machinery, absence of modern production technics, amongst others as factors militating against them in the business.
The entrepreneur noted that outside the production of oil for consumption, the producers of the vegetable oil are also major employers of labour, both direct and indirect.
He pleaded with the state government to extend the Diriboost empowerment programme and other Agricultural related facilities to mill operators in the state to consolidate on their jobs, just as he added that if this was done, the state would be sufficient in the vegetable oil industry.
