By Simon Ebegbulem

BENIN—GOVERNOR Godwin Obaseki of Edo State yesterday lamented that the advent of crude oil in the country killed the potential of rubber production in the state, but vowed to return the state to rubber production to increase the state’s foreign exchange earnings.

Governor of Edo State, Mr Godwin Obaseki

He spoke when he received the management of the Rubber Research Institute of Nigeria, RRIN, at Government House, Benin City.

According to him, rubber was a major source of foreign earnings for the country before the advent of crude oil, and that investment in rubber would be a worthwhile investment since it was a global commodity.

Disclosing plans by his administration to come up with a master plan for rubber production in the state, Obaseki asserted: “We want to know the locations and soil types where rubber can do well in the state.

We want to agree on how much land we should make available for rubber cultivation, the quantity of yield to expect and to know the key investors.

We will support local farmers and investors to grow rubber without being directly involved. We need to understand the value chain and the stakeholders in the rubber cluster to make Edo a key rubber producing region on the continent.

These were the crops that helped the state to generate foreign earnings before the advent of crude oil but it made us to forget rubber.”
Earlier, the Acting Executive Director of the institute, Dr. Airguamen Aigbodion, said the institute had developed rubber clones, which were believed to be some of the highest yielding clones in the world capable of yielding 2,500kg.

Obaseki noted that the state government would enter into a Memorandum of Understanding, MOU, with the institute with a view to allowing for inter change of human capacity, just as he expressed his desire to discuss the possibility of putting up 100,000 hectares of land for rubber plantation in the state in the next five years.

Earlier, the Acting Executive Director of the institute, Dr. Airguamen Aigbodion said the institute had developed rubber clones, which were believed to be some of the highest yielding clones in the world capable of yielding 2,500kg.