Correspondent
July 31, 2023, Tripura: The Central government has selected Tripura, along with four other northeastern states, to partake in a significant oil palm plantation drive under the National Mission for Edible Oils.
Assam, Nagaland, Mizoram, and Arunachal Pradesh have joined forces with Tripura in this initiative, which brings together state governments and prominent oil palm processing companies. The primary goal of the Mega Oil Palm Plantation drive, taking place from July 25 to August 12, is to expand oil palm cultivation across the country.
Patanjali Food Pvt. Ltd., Godrej Agrovet, and 3F Industries are among the leading companies actively involved in promoting and collaborating with farmers in their respective states to achieve a substantial increase in oil palm cultivation.
The National Mission for Edible Oils was launched by the Indian government in August 2021 with the objective of expanding the oil palm production area to 10 lakh ha and boosting Crude Palm Oil production to 11.20 lakh tonnes by 2025-26. The mission not only drives growth in edible oil production but also supports India's vision of becoming self-reliant by reducing import dependency.
Alongside Tripura and the four northeastern states, other major oil palm growing regions such as Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Karnataka, and Goa are also actively participating in this endeavor. These concerted efforts by multiple states are expected to bolster India's position in the edible oils market and promote agricultural self-sufficiency.