The Minister of Finance, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, has visited the Benso Oil Palm Plantation in Adum Abanso and has promised renewed investment for the industry.
Investment in strategic and productive sectors of the Ghanaian economy holds the key to expanding the economy through job creation, GDP boost, and the provision of social infrastructure. When industries and companies are empowered to expand, they carry the development of communities in their catchment areas along.
During his visit to the Western Region ahead of the 2026 Budget Statement in Parliament, the Minister of Finance, who also serves as the acting Minister for Defense, interacted with the managers, workers, and smallholder farmers of the Oil Palm Plantation to gain firsthand information on their operations. He engaged individual farmers as he visited the farms.
Alongside his confident deputy, Mr. Thomas Nyarko Ampem, they deliberated with the occupants of the plantation on possible support and renewed investment for the industry (the plantation). The outcome was to create a conducive environment for the industry to grow, support the agriculture and manufacturing aspects, and meet some of its challenges.
According to Dr. Forson, the government intends to grow the industry as part of its job creation agenda and boost local industries. He added that many local industries need support and assistance, and the government will do its best to assist them.
“[We] focused on how renewed investment and attention to the oil palm industry can unlock massive job opportunities, empower rural communities, and drive Ghana’s transformation agenda.”
Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson
The Benso Oil Palm Plantation (BOPP) PLC
The Benso Oil Palm Plantation (BOPP) PLC is the leading producer of Palm Oil in Ghana. They are vertically integrated with Wilmar Africa Limited, a subsidiary of Wilmar International Plantations.
The company, Ghanaian-owned, was established in 1978 and has since been providing jobs for the people of the Western Region. It was listed on the Ghana Stock Exchange in 2004.
The company has almost 7000 hectares of oil palm plantation and about 1,650 hectares of land grown by smallholders with a funded scheme. BOPP is also involved in the processing of Crude Palm Oil (CPO) for refining industries and other industries in the value chain. Quality Palm Oil and Palm Kernel (PK) are the main products extracted from the Crude Palm Oil.
The company functions in four areas: the plantation estates, where oil palm and palm kernel are grown; the technical side, which contains the oil palm mill with a current production capacity of 30 tons per hour; the Finance side, which manages the company’s finances; and the Human Resource department, which manages the workers of the company.
Economic Benefits: Employment and Revenue
BOPP currently employs 500 permanent workers with about 2,000 dependents living in the company’s residential facilities. The Plantation engages 3rd-Party contractors who employ about 1,500 workers.
There are also 438 community farmers/households and about 1,600 dependents who benefit from their Smallholder Scheme. The company also employs a large security force to ensure safety across the board.
The government receives revenue from them through taxes, while the company also contributes to the reduction of unemployment within the region and the country at large.
Social Benefits
BOPP has a Community School Complex from Crèche to the Junior High School, a well-equipped clinic that serves the entire community, and a police station. The company has also established recreational facilities like a golf course, a gym center, a swimming pool, and a tennis court.
The company is also engaged in Corporate Social Responsibilities (CSRs) in the communities in the Western Region, such as education, health, economic empowerment, and infrastructure. They also assist farmers within the catchment area and beyond with technical advice on good agricultural practices, best management practices, and assist out-grower farmers.
Dr. Ato Forson, on his visit, beheld the potential of the company, especially the plantation, to further expand to create more jobs and offer a lot more CSRs to boost community development. He added that the BOPP has the potential to also complement the transformation agenda of the government.
The Minister applauded BOPP for the extensive work being done and encouraged them to keep on with their contribution to national and community development, as well as impacting the lives of the people of the Western Region.
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