Mega drive to boost oil palm cultivation

State governments along with oil palm processing firms have launched a mega drive to increase the area under oil palm cultivation in the country. Major oil palm growing states like Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Karnataka, Goa, Assam, Tripura, Nagaland, Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh are participating in this initiative.

The mega plantation drive commenced on July 25 and will continue till August 12, the Agriculture Ministry said in a statement. Oil palm cultivation is being promoted under the central scheme National Mission for Edible Oils - Oil Palm which was launched in August 2021. Under this mission, the Centre aims to increase the oil palm production area to 10 lakh hectare and boost the crude palm oil production to 11.20 lakh tonnes by 2025-26.

Three major oil palm processing companies - Patanjali Food Pvt Ltd, Godrej Agrovet, and 3F Pvt Ltd - are actively promoting and participating with the farmers in their respective states towards area expansion. According to the ministry, the oil palm plantation drive in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Goa and Karnataka continue till August 8, where 7,000 hectare will be covered out of which the target is to cover 6,500 hectare in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

Likewise, in the North-Eastern Region (NER), the drive will go on till August 12 in states such as Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Tripura, Mizoram and Nagaland, covering more than 750 hectare.

The Assam government aims to cover more than 75 hectare in eight districts till August 5 during the mega drive, while Arunachal Pradesh is targeting to cover almost 700 hectare across 6 districts, the ministry said.