Tripura to bring 7,000 hectares under palm oil cultivation by 2026-27

The Tripura government plans to bring 7,000 hectares of land under palm oil cultivation by 2026-27 financial year. At present, palm oil plants are cultivated in 56.35 hectares of land in the northeastern state.

"To expand palm oil cultivation in the state, digital mapping was done in 2020 by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and the Indian Institute of Oil Palm Research. In the process, 1,46,364 hectares of land were identified in the state. Of that, 7000 hectares of land would be brought under palm oil cultivation by 2026-27," Agriculture Minister Ratan Lal Nath said.

The agriculture department has signed MoUs with Godrej Agrovet Ltd and Patanjali Food Private Ltd under the National Mission on Edible Oil to tap the potential. Godrej Agrovet Ltd has set up a nursery at Nalkata in Unakoti district.

"Godrej Agrovet has also brought palm plants from Andhra Pradesh and planted them on 52.01 hectares of land. The Patanjali Food Pvt Ltd has also planted palm plants in 56.35 hectares," he said, pointing out that the state has good potential in palm oil cultivation.

The minister said the state has already sent 18 officers to Andhra Pradesh to impart training on palm oil cultivation. "The department has already imparted training to 2123 farmers. Of them, 1076 have expressed interest in raising palm oil plants for better return," he said.

The oil seed is found from a palm tree four years after plantation and farmers get it for 30 years. "Since palm oil cultivation has potential in the hilly state, the agriculture department will leave no stone unturned to explore the possibility. If the plan is successful, the farmers will be benefited in future," he said.

The major oil palm growing states include Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Karnataka, Goa, Assam, Tripura, Nagaland, Mizoram, and Arunachal Pradesh. Countries like Indonesia, Malaysia, Nigeria, Cambodia and Thailand produce 90 per cent of palm oil in the world.