Guwahati, August 9: Assam has, in a bid to make the state self-reliant on production of edible oils, set a target of bringing 3.75 lakh hectares of land under oil palm cultivation.
Leading the state in joining the movement in producing edible palm oil, Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, along with Yoga Guru Ramdev, planted saplings of oil palm at Saikhowaghat in Tinsukia district on Tuesday.
Speaking on the occasion, chief minister Sarma said the main objective of the movement was to revolutionise the agro economy through oil palm plantation.
He said that as a part of a series of steps to promote oil palm plantation, Patanjali Food Limited (PFL), a food-based company, has set a target of 60,300 hectares of plantation by 2026.
Sarma said that since farmers were keen to adopt oil palm as a new crop to supplement and boost their income, the government has initiated steps to promote cultivation of oil palm trees.
He also said that PFL would develop palm oil plantations in seven districts – Dibrugarh, Tinsukia, Golaghat, Jorhat, Nagaon, Kamrup, Kamrup (Metro) and Goalpara.
Notably, PFL is planning to set up 16 nurseries by the coming year to facilitate quality seeding supply to farmers. PFL will also set up 12 refineries in seven districts this year and another four by next year. Moreover, PFL will set up oil palm processing factories at Dhing and Nagaon.
“As a part of the nation’s initiative in starting the movement of oil palm production, Assam, considering its potential in oil palm production, has taken this initiative,” the chief minister said, thanking Yoga Guru Ramdev for helping Assam in oil palm production.
IANS
