Agarala, June 13 (IANS) Tripura Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Ratan Lal Nath on Saturday said that the state government has undertaken a series of initiatives to achieve self‑sufficiency in edible oil production through large‑scale oil palm cultivation and is extending extensive support to farmers to encourage the crop.

Highlighting India’s agricultural achievements while inaugurating the “Mega Oil Palm Plantation Programme” in Gomati district, Nath said the country ranks among the leading producers of several agricultural commodities, including rice, turmeric, cardamom, chilli, banana, mango and millets.

“However, India continues to face a significant shortage of edible oil. Edible oil is produced from crops such as mustard, sesame, soybean, coconut and sunflower, but domestic production is insufficient to meet the country’s growing demand. India currently produces only about 47 per cent of its edible oil requirement, while the remaining demand is met through imports, resulting in a substantial outflow of foreign exchange,” the Minister said.

He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched the National Mission on Edible Oils–Oil Palm to make the country self‑reliant in edible oil production.

“Under the mission, special emphasis has been placed on oil palm cultivation in the Northeastern and southern states because of their favourable climatic and soil conditions. The demand for palm oil continues to increase, and its market value is also rising steadily,” Nath said.

The Minister said that to promote oil palm cultivation, the government is providing oil palm saplings free of cost to farmers. He noted that the saplings are expensive and that the state government is offering several financial incentives to reduce the burden on cultivators.

“We provide a one‑time assistance of Rs 3,000 for clearing bushes and preparing land. Farmers are also given Rs 4,000 per hectare for terrace construction and another Rs 4,000 per hectare for fencing. We are extending all possible support to farmers who take up oil palm cultivation,” he said.

According to Nath, the primary objective of the initiative is to make Tripura self‑sufficient in edible oil production while creating additional income opportunities for farmers.

“We are currently in Atharobhola Village Committee area under Killa, where farmer Pramilakanta Molsom has undertaken oil palm cultivation on 12 kani of land. The government is taking several measures to motivate and support farmers so that oil palm cultivation expands across the state,” he said.

The Minister recalled that in 2012, the Centre had approved oil palm cultivation over 7,000 hectares in Tripura, but the then state government had not taken adequate steps to implement the programme effectively.

“After our government came to power, we began working actively to promote oil palm cultivation. As a result, more than 3,500 hectares have already been brought under oil palm cultivation, and efforts are underway to further expand the coverage,” Nath added.

Tripura Legislative Assembly Speaker Rampada Jamatia, MLAs Abhishek Debroy and Jitendra Majumdar, along with senior officials of the Agriculture Department, were present at the programme.

–IANS

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