Many farmers in Arunachal have been
reaping benefits from oil palm cultivation as they are generating a regular income.
Taking note of this, State Agriculture Commissioner Bidol Tayeng encouraged other
farmers to opt for the same practice.
Oil palm cultivation, irrespective of
facing challenges in importing sprouts from other countries and growing them in
local and secondary nurseries, is beneficial as oil palm is a highly productive
crop yielding up to 6 tons of palm oil per hectare of cultivation.
Palm oil is also the cheapest vegetable
oil in the world, and is used extensively for cooking and the production of
consumer goods like cosmetics and soap. Subsequently, expanding oil palm
cultivation in Bharat will be important for its vegetable oil security.
Elucidating upon the economic benefits
of oil palm cultivation, Tayeng was addressing agriculture officers of five
eastern districts during two-day training on oil palm cultivation, which
concluded at Lower Dibang Valley district HQs Roing on Wednesday.
In Arunachal, oil palm cultivation has
been taken up in Lohit, Namsai, Changlang, Tirap and Longding districts and
proposed in Lower Dibang Valley, East Siang, Lower Siang and Papumpare
districts, he said.
Eastern zone districts constitute about
71 per cent of potential and the targeted areas in the State for cultivation,
while East Siang, Lower Dibang Valley and Papum Pare have taken lead though
other proposed district are yet to start.
On policy, programmes, directives and
targets for cultivation, he clarified not to head to criticism and rumours on
adverse impacts of the cultivation.
“I call oil palm cultivation as ATM for
farmers as fruits of oil palm bring regular income every fortnight,” he told
the participants including agriculture director K Riram, joint director TD
Nechom and Oil Palm ADO Idar Nyori and other officials.
Centre’s OPAE includes Arunachal
It is pertinent to note that Arunachal is
included under Centre’s Oil Palm Area Expansion or OPAE scheme for oil palm
cultivation in 2014 and National Mission on Oilseed and Oil Palm from 2014 to
2018.
The State is included under National
Food Security Mission-Oil Palm and implemented from 2018. State Department of
Agriculture is a nodal agency for implementing the programme in the State.
The Centre has proposed oil palm area
expansion targets of 40,000 ha for next five years from 2021 to 2026 under
National Mission on Edible Oil-Oil Palm.
However, the Central Government had
approved annual action plan for the State an amount of Rs 1,868.83 lakhs (Rs 1,685.40
lakh as Central share and Rs 183.44 lakh as State share) for coverage an area
of 600 ha under oil palm cultivation during 2021 year.
NE Watch Desk
