GHANA: Dzodze Palm Festival Launched In Accra

The chiefs and people of Dzodze in the Ketu North District in the Volta Region have launched the 14th Dzodze Deza (Palm Festival), with an appeal to the government to support the oil palm industry.

At the event held in Accra, the Chairman of the Central Planning Committee for the festival, Rev. Egbede Felli, said government’s assistance would help expand the once vibrant industry and also bring investors to the area.

He said the traditional area, for its part, had acquired about 56 hectares for oil palm cultivation towards the expansion of the industry, adding that with support from other stakeholders, palm seedlings had been grown on some portions of the land.

“The government can help the industry by providing palm seedlings, extension services and other relevant projects for farmers in the area,” he said.

Palm Festival

Deza, instituted in 2002, is aimed at rejuvenating the oil palm industry in the Dzodze Traditional Area. It is also used to plan development projects for the area.

This year’s edition will be celebrated on the theme: “14 years of Dzodze Deza celebration: Achievements, challenges and prospects”.

It will be celebrated from September 25 to October 3, 2015, which will be the climax.

Rev. Felli said the theme was a wake-up call to the citizens of Dzodze to visit their roots and support efforts to bring development to their homeland.

In his welcome address, the Paramount Chief of the Dzodze Traditional Area, Togbui Dey III, said the festival had brought unity and tranquillity to the area and impressed on the citizens to unite in the effort to accelerate the development of the area.
Background

Dzodze is among areas in the country noted for the production of palm oil and other palm products. Unfortunately, the oil palm industry in Dzodze has taken a nosedive in recent times.

To revamp the economy of the area, the chiefs and elders of Dzodze decided to go back to what once fed them by establishing a plantation and a plant for processing palm fruits into oil and other products that led to the introduction of the Deza Festival.