With an aim to increase the oil palm production area to 10 lakh ha.,  and boost the Crude Palm Oil production to 11.20 lakh tonnes by 2025-26, the Government of India launched National Mission for Edible Oils- Oil Palm in August 2021. In addition to the marked growth in production of edible oils, the Mission is also successfully leading India towards an ‘Aatma Nirbhar Bharat’ by reducing the import burden. Under the Mission, the State Governments along with Oil Palm processing companies have initiated a Mega Oil Palm Plantation drive from 25^th July 2023 to further increase the oil palm cultivation in the country. Three major oil palm processing companies, namely, Patanjali Food Pvt. Ltd., Godrej Agrovet, and 3F are actively promoting and participating with the farmers in their respective states for record area expansion.

The Mega plantation drive commenced on 25^th July 2023 and will continue till 12^th August 2023. The major oil palm growing states, namely, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Karnataka, Goa, Assam, Tripura, Nagaland, Mizoram, and Arunachal Pradesh will be participating in this initiative.

The drive started on 25^th of July 2023 in the Rest of India (RoI) states i.e. Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamilnadu, Odisha, Goa, Karnataka, and will continue till 08-08-2023 and will cover an area of almost 7000 ha. area out of which more than 6500 ha. is targeted to be covered by Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

In the North-Eastern Region (NER) states such as Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Tripura, Mizoram, and Nagaland, the drive started on 27^th of July 2023 and will continue till 12^th August 2023, in 19 districts, covering more than 750 ha. of area. 

The Government of Assam is targeting to cover an area of more than 75 ha. of the 8 districts during the Mega Plantation Drive from 27^th July 2023 till 05^th August 2023. The participating companies in this drive for the state are Godrej Agrovet Ltd., Patanjali Foods Pvt. Ltd, 3F Oil Palm Ltd. And KE Cultivation.

The Government of Arunachal Pradesh is targeting to cover an area of almost 700 ha. across 6 districts during the drive from 29^th July 2023 till 12^th August 2023. The participating companies in this drive for the state are 3F Pvt. Ltd. And Patanjali Foods Pvt. Ltd.

Pic: 28^th July, Cachar, Assam

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SK/SS