The Ghana Oil Palm Development Company (GOPDC), introduced its out growers scheme for Okumaning in 2008 after its success at Kwae.
It was meant for farmers from communities around the company's Okumaning plantation to benefit from oil palm cultivation, Mr Kenneth
Mensah, GOPDC Out grower Manager, said in an interview with the Ghana News Agency at Okumaning near Kade.
He said out growers had access to very high yield seedlings, fertilizers and training to follow good agricultural practices.
Mr Mensah said in 2008, after sensitization meetings were held a lot of farmers showed interest.
As a result, 140 farmers were interviewed and had their lands inspected and 44 of them were selected from Gyaha, Arkoh, Breky and Aboabo.
He said the selection was done taking into consideration the suitability of the land for palm trees and the motivation of the applicant.
He said the total surface area planted in 2008 was 54 hectares.
Mr Mensah said as a result of the success achieved in 2008, the programme was continued with the planting of 72.6 hectares in 2009.
The out grower scheme was introduced following the establishment of GOPDC's Kwae nucleus estate in 1975.
It was geared towards motivating farmers in communities surrounding its nucleus estates to go into large-scale cultivation of oil palm with
assistance from the company.
They in turn were expected to sell all fruits harvested from their farms to the company.
The company has currently 34 collecting centres and collects farmer's fruits from the farm gates.
Mr Mensah said the scheme had improved the incomes of farmers and with it their standard of living.
He said it was becoming clear from its Kwae out grower scheme that farmers had the potential to supply at least 40 percent more fruits to
GOPDC.
Over the years the deliveries from the farmers, however, indicated that about 25 percent of the fruits were diverted to the "black market".
He said by 1989, out growers supplied 45,913 tons of fresh oil palm fruits and by 2006 the figure went up to 74,134 tons.
But that dropped to 51,462 tons in 2007 but jumped to 83,077 tons in 2008.