Tripura has covered over 50 pc of targeted land for oil palm cultivation: Minister

Agartala, July 21 Tripura has already covered almost 4,000 hectares of land under oil palm cultivation out of the 7,000 hectares targeted in the 2025–26 financial year, Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Ratan Lal Nath said on Monday.

Inaugurating the Mega Oil Palm Plantation Drive at Taltala in West Tripura, the Minister said that India is not self-sufficient in edible oil, although it is self-sufficient in fish, rice and many other crops. Nath said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi also wants the country to be self-sufficient in edible oil, or else a huge amount of money goes out to foreign countries.

“That’s why the government has stressed cultivation of oil palm in South India and North East India, as the lands are suitable for palm oil. The rate of palm oil would never decrease; it would only increase. The market is very good, and farmers don’t need to worry about selling their products,” said the Minister.

He said that in rubber plantations, farmers can’t cultivate anything in between the rubber trees, but in palm oil cultivation, farmers can grow many other crops in between, and the government would also help. “From clearing bushes to providing saplings, all support would be provided by the government. Our target by 2025-26 is to cover 7,000 hectares in Tripura, and so far, we have already covered around 4,000 hectares,” said the Minister.

He further informed that palm oil is used to make two types of oil -- palm oil, which is used for cooking, and palm kernel oil is used in industry. Palm oil is also used in cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, bio-fuels, and bio-lubricants.

Nath said that potential areas for oil palm cultivation in Tripura have been identified and a new area expansion program has been launched by the Government of India. Initially, in 2012, the DAC Committee of the Government of India identified 7,000 hectares in Tripura for oil palm cultivation. Later, in 2020, the ICAR-IIOPR Re-evaluation Committee identified 1,46,364 hectares of potential areas for oil palm expansion in the state through digital mapping.

“The Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare has set a target of bringing 7,000 hectares of land under this crop in Tripura in the current financial year (2025-26). The Horticulture and Land Conservation Rights of the State Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Department are committed to achieving this target,” he said.

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