Oil palm block holders at Higaturu have called on the national Government to intervene and buy their blocks, now abandoned due to the upsurge in crime in Northern Province.
The blockholders decided at a meeting last week that the national Government should do this because they fear for their lives, and that they could not continue to tend their oil palm blocks.
There are 450 block holders, most of whom are from other provinces, at the Higaturu Oil Palm Project.
The block holders had earlier approached Higaturu Oil Palm Pty Ltd to buy out their blocks, but the company decided not to make a decision so soon due to the sensitive nature of the problem, which has resulted in a mass exodus of people from the province in the past weeks.
More than 500 people have left the province following an upsurge in threats made on their lives by local people. It is feared that the number may reach 10,000 by next month.
Henck Marmelstein, managing director of Higaturu Oil Palm Pty Ltd, said this was a political decision which should be made by the national Government. The company could not make any deal with the block holders without the knowledge or consent of the Government.
But Mr Marmelstein said that if all avenues were exhausted, and there was no potential buyer, it was likely that Higaturu Oil Palm Pty Ltd would purchase the 450 blocks.
“These blocks only have four to five years in them, and we cannot get much return if we buy them out. Therefore, I urge the owners to stay on and work until the years are up.”
The Higaturu Oil Palm project has been the backbone of the province’s economy since it started in 1976.
The provincial government and relevant authorities must make sure oil palm growers do not abandon their blocks, Mr Marmelstein said.
Mr Marmelstein also said the province’s crime problem should be seriously addressed so that oil palm blockholders’ safety could be guaranteed.
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