NIFOR reduces long gestation period of Shea tree
Nigerian Institute for Oil Palm Research (NIFOR), through its research on the Shea tree, has reduced its gestation period from between 15 and 30 years to seven years before it starts fruiting. Mrs Mobola Sagoe, 2nd Vice-President of the National Association of Shea Butter Producers in Nigeria, disclosed this on Thursday in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja. She described the feat as very encouraging, adding that many people could now go into cultivation of the African shea tree (Vitellaria paradoxa). She also said that the government could also set up shea tree plantations in the 21 shea nut/butter producing states. She listed some of the shea nut/butter producing states as Niger, Kwara, Kebbi, Kaduna, Kogi, Benue, Ogun and Oyo states. Sagoe, who is also a shea butter manufacturer, said Nigeria had the potential of generating over 800 million U.S. dollars from the over 700 tonnes of shea butter it produced annually if it was able to c...