Benso Oil Palm makes GH¢8.3m profit after tax in 2011
The Benso Oil Palm Plantation Limited (BOPP) under its new management, WILMAR, a Singaporarian Company made a profit of GH¢8.3 million after tax this year, as against a profit margin of GH¢1.9 million last year.
The company produced 14,270 tonnes of palm oil between January to November this year, recording a 30 per cent increase over the previous year’s 10,966 tonnes.
Palm kernel followed with actual production of 2,572 tonnes this year as against 2,271 tonnes the previous year.
The Managing Director of BOPP, Mr. Santosh Pillai announced this in an address read on his behalf at the company’s maiden workers’ durbar and awards Day at Benso in the Mpohor Wassa East district of the Western Region last Saturday, during which 42 workers were honoured.
He congratulated the employers, contractors and particularly award winners for their outstanding achievement that made the excellent performance of the company [possible.
Certificates and prizes ranging from sewing machines, wax prints, wellington boots, machetes, gas cylinders, four-burner gas cookers, ice chests and a quantity of soap were presented to the award winners.
Mr. Pillai commended the Government for granting the company fertilizer subsidy, saying this will improve crop yields and ultimately increase productivity and profit for the company, as well as enhance smallholder farmers’ incomes.
He said the company recorded seven serious accidents at the work place which management was worried about and urged the workers to take safety lessons seriously to curb the trend.
On the Company’s social responsibility, he said BOPP had since 2007 instituted a scholarship scheme, sponsoring 30 Senior High School (SHS) students from communities in its catchment areas and that six of the beneficiaries who completed SHS this year had secured admission to tertiary institutions with one studying chemical engineering at KNUST.
Mr. Pillai said the company intended to increase its planted areas through new smallholder and out-grower schemes and appealed to thechiefs and people of the area to make land available.
Mr. Samuel Anane, Local Union Chairman, in his welcoming address appealed to management of BOPP to provide BOPP school with computers to enhance the teaching and learning of ICT as it was an examinable subject.
Group Captain Maxwell Naga, Takoradi Air Force Base Commander, who presided, commended the hard working employees, out-growers and smallholder farmers of BOPP for their immense contribution towards the socio-economic development of the district and the nation at large.
Source: GNA