PASIGHAT, 12 Aug: A ‘mega’ oil palm plantation programme under the National Mission on Edible Oil – Oil Palm was organised in Moruk area of Remi village in East Siang district on Saturday.
Officials of the agriculture department, which along with the Patanjali Food Ltd Zone-III oil palm division organised the drive, also convened a public meeting with the farmers and other stakeholders in Mirem village.
Earlier, East Siang DC Tayi Taggu and District Agriculture Officer (DAO) Opang Moyong planted saplings in the plantation area of progressive farmer Lenzing Eko, in the presence of Patanjali Foods Ltd state head Milan Borah, Mirem ZPM Yaken Taloh, Mirem HGB Taham Taggu, the agriculture department’s district oil palm nodal officer Naking Nonang, and Bilat ADO SK Sharma.
Addressing an awareness meeting in the Mirem dere, the DC urged the farmers to “come forward to take up cultivation of oil palm as you can avail planting materials and other inputs on government subsidy.”
He also urged them to “take the support of subject matter experts from the agriculture department in taking up cultivation of oil palm, which can fetch remunerative income for the farmers.”
The DAO on his part said that “oil palm cultivation is remunerative and sustainable income generating farming as it is less labour intensive.”
“The state government has signed an MoU with Patanjali Food Ltd to ensure that farmers receive good remuneration with provision of buyback policy after the fruiting begins. The processing unit in Niglok will utilise all the fresh fruit bunches/produce produced by the farmers of the district as per MoU,” informed the DAO.
He advised the farmers to “adopt intercropping of oil palm with crops like ginger and vegetables and adopt scientific farming by following ‘package of practice’ to boost production.”
The meeting was attended by progressive farmer Olo Dai from Berung village, ADO Osinam Tapak, agriculture field staff, the HGB, GBs, PRI members, farmers and other villagers. (DIPRO)
