africa product development

Agricultural Strategy

Oil Palm Plantation 

Palm oil will be an important part of this project. Construction on a high yield nursery for oil palm will begin in the second half of 2011 with planting within the site scheduled in 2012. APD will be using a different model of planting based upon the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil. Intercropping our plantation with beneficial crops will not only ensure a healthy return on the investment; it will stand as a beacon for sustainable development within Ghana.

Integrated Bio Farm

Besides the oil palm plantation, a diverse cultivation of new experimental crops is planned. APD will introduce better seed, organic fertilizer, integrative farm design and management and training to local people transforming uncultivated land into a healthy productive agri-system.

Aquaponics

Aquaponics is a farming method that combines growing fish – "aquaculture" – with growing plants in water – "hydroponics." It solves the twin problems of disposing of fish manure and fertilizing hydroponic water by making the waste from one process the food for another. Because the only input to the system is fish food, and a small amount of water, it is very sustainable. 

Live stock

In order to have a healthy eco-system, sustainable production of livestock must be introduced. At this very moment, there are no organised livestock raising activities within the village. The year 2011 will be a year of introducing these activities in the village of Ekumfi Ekrawfo on a mid-scale basis with the perspective to develop the most successful units into large-scale production units. It is our goal to use the livestock to create free fertilizer for crops while allowing our farm to provide nourishment for the animals.

Trial livestock includes: snails, chickens, grascutters, dairy cows, and pigs

Value Added Products

In order to reach the most profit possible, APD seeks to create value added products from raw materials grown within our plantation and farm. Fresh palm oil fruit bunches will be processed into high quality Palm Oil within, the aquaponics fish ponds produce Tilapia, bees produce honey etc. As more products come online other facilities will be constructed .