TOPP opts for RSPO Certification

Twifo Ntafrewaso (C/R), Dec. 31, GNA - Twifo Oil Palm Plantation (TOPP), has opted for sustainable agriculture under the Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) Certification. The RSPO Certification, which recognises a plantation's ability to regenerate or make sustainable its operations, ensures alternative use bye-products, protection of water bodies, animal species and application of best practices.

Mr Neneyo Mate-Kole, Managing Director of TOPP announced this at the company's annual awards day celebration during which 35 workers were honoured at Twifo Ntafrewaso.

Prizes ranging from television sets, ice chests, roofing sheets and certificates were given to the award winners. Mr Mate-Kole said the company had one of the highest Crude Palm Oil (CPO) price in so many years and that the CPO volume performance was just below the company's budget levels. He said as at the end of November 2008, nuclear farm produced 40,570 tons of Fresh Fruit Bunch (FFB) below a target of 45,360 tons but above the production for the same period last year of 38,807 tons. Mr Mate-Kole said the small holder and outside purchase fruit for the period was 105,059 tons as against a budget of 102,480 tons. The Managing Director said palm oil produced for the period was 17,626 tons which was 0.9 percent below the target of 17,781 tons. He said the management of the company had agreed to give each permanent employee one gallon of palm oil every month with effect from January 2009 and appealed to the workers to reciprocate the gesture with increase in productivity.

Mr Mate-Kole said as part of its social responsibility, the company continued to support the communities in areas of rehabilitation of boreholes, renovation of schools and construction of KVIP. He said TOPP also would continue to honour its property rates and land rent obligation to the Twifo-Heman-Lower Denkyira District Assembly and Ati Morkwa Traditional Council. Mr Charles Arthur, the Union Chairman appealed to management to institute a housing scheme for workers to enable them own houses after retirement.

He also called for a standby generator at the Ntafrewaso Estate to offset frequent power outages. Other activities organised as part of the celebration were tree planting exercise, sack race and tug-of-war. Other personalities that graced the occasion were Mrs Elizabeth Amoa Tetteh, Member of Parliament for Twifo Ati Morkwa and Mr Samuel Agyeibie-Kessie, the District Chief Executive for Twifo-Heman-Lower Denkyira.