The Faculty of Agriculture, University of Calabar (UniCal), has commenced commercial sales of palm oil from its newly reinstated in-house milling facility.
The Dean of the Faculty, Prof. Ukwapu Undiandeye, disclosed this in an interview with reporters on Thursday in Calabar.
Undiandeye described the development as a major milestone in the faculty’s drive for self-sufficiency and increased revenue generation.
“This initiative has ended years of selling harvested palm nuts to external processors and repurchasing processed oil at higher costs,” he said.
“The faculty now controls the entire value chain, from harvesting palm fruits to extracting and marketing the oil.”
The dean attributed the achievement to the support of the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Offiong Offiong, and his agriculture-for-food agenda. He noted that the first phase of production was completed within six months of the vice-chancellor’s administration.
Undiandeye explained that the project was designed to reduce processing expenses and boost internally generated revenue. He added that the initiative would also strengthen food production and food security on the university campus.
The dean commended faculty staff for their dedication, patience, and commitment to completing the first production phase. He said the achievement reflected UNICAL’s growing capacity for practical, income-generating agriculture and agribusiness.
Undiandeye disclosed that every batch of palm oil undergoes laboratory analysis and internal quality checks before being released for sale. He urged members of the university community to patronise the product, assuring them of high quality standards and competitive pricing.
