In a bid to reduce the state’s dependence on palm oil imports, the Tripura government has been aggressively promoting palm oil cultivation across the state. The initiative, launched three years ago, has seen significant progress, especially in the Dhalai district.
The government has allocated funds for cultivating palm trees in hilly and plain areas across eight blocks of the district. The Horticulture Department has been at the forefront of this initiative, distributing saplings and providing technical guidance to farmers.
Notably, Tripura has been importing palm oil worth hundreds of crores of rupees from other states every year.
A plantation drive and awareness program was held in the Ganganagar block on Friday relating the Palm cultivation. The event was attended by MLA of the 44th Raima Valley constituency Nandita Debbarma, MDC Bhumikananda Reang, and officials from the Dhalai District Horticulture Department.
In the event, local farmers were encouraged to adopt palm oil cultivation. Officials from the Horticulture Department outlined the benefits of the initiative and the government’s support for farmers.
District Horticulture Officer, Parimal Debbarma, informed the farmers that the government had set an ambitious target of making Tripura self-sufficient in palm oil production within the next four years.
During a discussion after the plantation drive, Parimal Debbarma also said that the state government had signed an MoU with Godrej Agro, an agency from another state, in the 2021-22 financial year for palm cultivation. Following the MoU, the agency entered the state and conducted seminars in various districts, including Dhalai, to educate people about palm cultivation.
Debbarma further mentioned that the Horticulture Department, with the financial support of the state and central governments, has been promoting palm cultivation across the state since 2022-23. The initial target was to cultivate palm on 150 hectares of land in eight blocks of Dhalai district, but they could achieve only 123 hectares.
While challenges remain, the department is confident of achieving this goal through sustained efforts.
Despite facing initial resistance from farmers, the Horticulture Department has successfully convinced many to take up palm oil cultivation. With increasing awareness and government support, the area under palm cultivation is expected to expand significantly in the coming years.
(Tripura, Tripura News)
