Norpalm Ghana Limited, (NPL) has rewarded 29 individual and shareholder farmers for their hard work which has contributed immensely to the growth of the company. The awards, which is in its 9th edition serves as a forum for the company to interact with the farmers, and in addition update them on ongoing preparations ahead of the 2012 peak season, and to use the day as a branding tool to further enhance the image of NGL. It also gives the company an opportunity to listen to the concerns of the farmers who contribute nearly 70% of palm fruits used by the company to process palm oil, palm kennel oil and palm kennel cake, which are exported to markets in America, Europe Asia, Middle East, Africa and the Oceania. This year’s awards day celebration, on the theme “Our Farmers; Our Dependable Partners in Growth”, was attended by over 300 farmers. Twenty-nine of them were rewarded with items to improve their farming activities. The items included bicycles, weedicides, spraying machines and bags of fertilizers. Other prizes included gas cylinders and electric cookers, roofing sheets, plastic chairs and bags of cement. In his address, the Executive Board Chairman of Norpalm Ghana Limited, Peter Schoenberg said the company was happy to have fulfilled its pledge to buy more fresh fruits from farmers. He said the company continued buying even at a time when fruits were in abundance during the peak season, saying it milled the highest volume of Fresh Fruits Bunches (FFB) ever, although there were issues with accommodating the high volumes. He announced that upgrading and expansion works were ongoing in the factory to ensure that it has the needed capacity to buy and process all of the farmers’ fruits in 2012. “NGL will make every effort to remain the preferred buyer of FFB in our catchment area, offering competitive terms and conditions to all farmers, in particular those having planted the Tenera variety" - said Mr. Schoenberg. Mr. Schoenberg announced that the company has secured a 518 acre land at Bortogyina for an out-grower project to begin in 2012. He said the company, which was in distress until its takeover 11 years ago, has since 2007 paid considerable dividends to its shareholders. Mr. Schoenberg said there has been a consistent increase in the company’s output yearly, and noted that it will remain a major contributor to the economy of the Western Region through tax obligations, job creation, support to government projects and farm gate purchases of FFB from over 1,000 independent farmers. Norpalm has a little over 1,000 workers with nearly 70% being locals within its catchment areas of Mpohor Wassa and Ahanta West districts. “This year we have processed a record volume of 70,000 tonnes of fresh fruits bunches from out-growers and also from our own estate. Fruit levels are high and we expect levels to go further up next year so our target is to process 80,000 tonnes. “Norpalm is one of the major contributors to the economy in the Western Region in terms of payments to IRS, VAT etc. There are four industrial Millers in the country. We have GOPDC in the Eastern Region, TOPP in the Central Region, and NORPALM and BOPP in the Western Region. Of the four, we are the smallest in terms of volumes, but we are not far from BOPP and TOPP. When it comes to profitability, we are definitely not number four,” Mr. Schoenberg noted. The overall best farmer, Imoro Morrison told Maxx Business he was grateful for the recognition of his hard work and urged other farmers to work harder to merit such rewards. He lauded Norpalm for assisting farmers in their work and urged them to do more. Speaking on behalf of the farmers, Justice Nana Appiah, also called on Norpalm to pay competitive prices for their fruits. This year's function was attended by chiefs, members of parliament, District Chiefs Executives and representatives from various ministries and organizations. The chairman for the occasion, Osabarima Kow Entsie, Paramount Chief of Mpohor Traditional Area, commended Norpalm for setting up a scholarship scheme for brilliant but needy students but asked that the number of beneficiaries be increased. He also urged the company to train locals who can work on their equipment without them having to look outside the catchment area for such skills. MP for Ahanta West, Hon. Samuel John Fia also commended Norpalm for giving the once distressed company a facelift.