Nagaland, Assam, Arunachal, Tripura, Mizoram join mega oil palm plantation drive

DIMAPUR — Several north-eastern states, including Nagaland participated in the recent mega oil plantation drive, which was organised in sync with the National Mission for Edible Oils- Oil Palm (NMEO-OP) aimed at making India self reliant in edible oils by boosting crude palm oil production.

The oil palm plantation drive was carried out in Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Tripura, Mizoram, and Nagaland, covering more than 750 ha. of area in 19 districts, informed an update received here on Friday.

As per the assessment of the ICAR- Indian Institute of Oil Palm Research (IIOPR) in 2020, a total area of around 28 lakh ha. is fit for oil palm cultivation in the country with the northeast region accounting for 9.62 lakh ha. of area, said the update.

India imports around 9 million tonnes of palm oil, which is worth INR 40,000 crore, annually, constituting 56.6% of the total imports of edible oil, it said, adding that “ICAR-IIOPR is tasked with conducting research on genetic resource management, crop improvement, and production technologies to enhance oil palm productivity and reduce import dependency”.

Sougata Niyogi, CEO – Oil Palm Plantation Business, said that the northeast region conducive for oil palm plantation.

He said that ‘with no part of the Northeast India receiving rainfall below 1,000 MM and, with some states, recording rainfall between 2,000–3,000 MM, the weather conditions are apt for the oil palm plantation’.

Also read: Oil Palm Cultivation in Nagaland under National Mission on Edible Oils – Oil Palm