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By Akpan David, Calabar
N
atural rubber farmers have been spurred to venture into carbon marketing as a way of attracting foreign exchange necessary to regenerate aging plantations.
National president of National Rubber Producers, Processors and marketers Association of Nigeria, (NARPPMAN), Prince Peter Igbinosun made the call in Calabar when he met with stakeholders, such as rubber farmers, representatives of lending banks and government officials.
Rubber farmers have persistently complained of being denied credits by Central Bank of Nigeria and other financial institutions due majorly to long gestational period of rubber trees.
Igbinosun said it was necessary for natural rubber farmers to raise funds on their own to reinvest in that agricultural sub-sector.
Igbinosun said the rubber farmers be interested in ‘carbon marketing’ from their vast rubber plantations in parts of the country.
He explained that carbon marketing simply means the selling of carbon that emits from the rubber trees.
He explained further that rubber trees take in the most carbon amongst all the trees, and United Nations and other agencies which promote environmental and ecological sustainability are ready to give grants to plantations.
Igbinosun said his team has met with officials of the federal ministry of environment who have hailed the initiative and called for regular updates from his associtation regarding progress in the direction.
“The good thing about this carbon marketing is that the federal government is very much in support.
“Carbon emitting from our plantations will generate credits for our farmers. The credits will come in millions of Dollars.
“With this carbon credits, it will enable us reinvest and regenerate our aging trees.
“I need all rubber farmers to register and input correct data because assessments of the plantations will definitely be carried out physically.”
He encouraged them to ensure that they possess documents showing ownership of such lands and farms.
