Assam to Yield Benefits of Palm Oil by 2025, 2 Lakh Hectares Identified for Cultivation

GUWAHATI: The Centre is mulling growing palm oil trees in 2 lakh hectares of land in Assam by 2025-26. The whole project will cover 18 districts in Assam which will churn out a good amount of revenue for the state. 

Sources from the agriculture department said that a total of 6 oil palm processing units will be set up in the state and the process to identify land for three such units has already started. 

"Oil palm farmers are being selected from across 18 districts divided into six zones" said a senior official of the department.

The Panchayati Raj Institutions and the agricultural offices are entrusted with the task of selecting the farmers.

Palm Oil cultivation started on a pilot basis in some villages of Goalpara and Kamrup in 2080 hectares where it was found that the districts lack groundwater facilities required for palm trees.

Palm oil cultivation requires a good amount of water and the rainwater alone was not enough for the cultivation. 

Sources also added that the main source of palm oil cultivation can be culturable waste or fallow land which is spread over 6.5 lakh hectares in the state, according to the directorate of economics and statistics data. 

Also Read: Manipur To Start Palm Oil Cultivation Soon

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