The government is determined to promote oil palm cultivation in new regions and provide comprehensive support to farmers. The government’s new plan to save Rs 5,870 cr on edible oil production by promoting its cultivation in the Northeast has been unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to Arunachal Pradesh.
Under the Mission Palm Oil – Oil Palm (NMEO-OP), the government aims to promote the cultivation of oil palm in 8.4 lakh hectares of cultivable land in the Northeast, including Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland, and Tripura. The target is to produce 11.20 lakh tonnes of oil by 2025-26.
To promote the cultivation of oil palm, the government will provide assistance of Rs 1,00,000 per hectare to farmers for planting material, and management, and to address the topographical challenges faced by the farmers of the Northeast.
The government will also provide Rs 2,90,000 for the purchase of harvesting tools to farmers. The government will also pay a differential of 2 percent on the CPO prices to farmers considering the challenging terrain of the Northeast.
Under the NMEO-OP, the government has also proposed to set up 10 new oil mills in the Northeast to promote the post-harvest processing of oil. The government has also provided an incentive of Rs 5 crore for the development of private oil processing facilities in the region.
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