The Oil Palm Research Institute under the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has made a passionate appeal to the government for urgent financial intervention to sustain its critical research and seedling production activities.
During an engagement with the Minister for Food and Agriculture, Eric Opoku, at the 2025 Agrifair hosted by Channel One TV at the Efua Sutherland Children’s Park in Accra on Saturday, June 21, officials from the Institute lamented the lack of funding and government support, despite their capacity to supply vital planting materials.
“We need the government to come to our aid. We need funds for our research activities. We have the planting materials, but the government is not buying,” one representative stated. “We have a lot of oil palm seedlings in our nursery, but the government is not coming on board. We are pleading with the government to please come to our aid.”
The call for support underscores a broader issue confronting Ghana’s agricultural research institutions—while they remain instrumental in developing high-yield crop varieties and improving food security, many are hampered by chronic underfunding and limited logistical support.
In response, Agriculture Minister Eric Opoku assured the Institute that the government is taking steps to address their concerns. He revealed that plans are in motion to establish a strategic platform that will facilitate collaboration between researchers and private investors.
“We are arranging a meeting with the CSIR, so take your time. We will create that platform and even bring the investors together. We want the researchers and the investors to interface for us to see what we can do, so be patient.”