Newmai News Network
AIZAWL, FEBRUARY 6
The under-construction Oil Palm Mill at Bukvannei located between Bairabi and Kolasib town in northern part of Mizoram will soon come to operational, which is indeed good news for oil palm cultivators in the State as the factory is highly hoped to enhance better commercial value to the their produces and also boost the market thereof.Leaders of Godrej Agrovet Company, being engaged for the Oil Palm Mill construction, informed Mizoram Parliamentary secretary K. Lalrinthanga, who visited the work site today, that they have been working vigorously on daily-basis, adding, the construction will be completed within short time from now.
Lalrinthanga had a look at the different machines being installed at the factory and also learnt their system of operation. Asst. Director Er. YSSV Suresh and co-workers besides explaining their system of working to the visiting Parliamentary Secretary also apprised the latter that monsoon rains largely paralyses the construction work and that the same also affected import of machines and their installations to a large extent. Parliamentary Secretary Rinthanga on his part asked the Company leaders to accelerate the construction work of Oil Palm Mill and get it ready soon for opening/operating.
In reply the Parl Secy query on whether the factory could be opened in March, as it is scheduled, Suresh said he is not 100 percent certain about that. The visiting Parl Secy K. Rinthanga on the day advised Kolasib DAO to vigil the working of the Company as required. He also asked the DAO to give report to C. Lalzarliana, Director, Agriculture, regarding the progress of the work. Lalrinthanga was accompanied by C. Lalzarliana, Agriculture Director besides his wife Thangchhungi.
Two generators of 200 KVA is being installed for the Oil Palm Mill, in addition to 500 KV transformer already installed. As per estimate, the mill is to extract Oil Palm fruits 8 hours a day. However, at the present condition, considering the quantity of Oil Palm produces, 4 hours a day will do, Gogrej Company leaders said. Nevertheless, further increase in produce fro extraction is expected as there are more than not Oil Palm cultivators being seen reaping their produces, they added.
As regards to the process of collection of oil palm fruits from the cultivators, the Company has set up 26 collection centres in Kolasib district and 33 collection centres in Mamit district, from where the Company will take to the raw materials to Mill. The crude oil extracted from Oil Palm will be taken in a tanky to the refinery outside Mizoram.
“Setting up of Oil Palm factory at Bukvannei which shall benefit the oil palm cultivators is on the verge of completion. It is expected to be inaugurated for operation by March 2014”, the Kolasib deputy commissioner said. The oil palm factory is located between Bairabi and Kolasib town along NH 154. Three companies- Godrej Agrovet Ltd, Ruchi Soya Industries Ltd and 3F Oil Palm Agrotech Pvt. Ltd. are being engaged in setting up the factory.
Mention may be made here that a plan is on to set up more oil palm factories in Serchhip and Lunglei districts. As stated in the Mizoram Oil Palm Advisory meeting last year, oil palm is cultivated in 17,566 hectare area in Mizoram. Agriculture (CH) director, Dr C Lalzarliana has also said that Oil palm is purchased by companies @ Rs 4.75/kg and that since 2008 Mizoram has produced 2,318 metric ton of oil palm, and oil palm cultivators have marketed their produces worth Rs. 110 lakhs so far.
