DOIMUKH, Jan 21: The Department of Agriculture in association with the Papum Pare Oil Palm Growers’ Society organized a one-day Awareness Programme cum Workshop on Oil Palm Cultivation at Doimukh today.  
Minister Agriculture Tage Taki  graced the programme as the chief guest along with Director Agriculture, Anong Lego. The meeting was also attended by Deputy Commissioner, Papum Pare, Sachin Rana along with department officials including officials from Patanjali Foods Pvt Ltd. Large numbers of Oil Palm farmers from various circles of Papum Pare District that has potential areas for cultivation of Oil Palm viz., Balijan, Taraso, Doimukh, Kimin, Gumto, Sangdupota attended the meeting. 
In his deliberation, Taki stressed on the potential of Oil Palm and its scope in Arunachal Pradesh. He also highlighted the importance of Oil Palm cultivation to meet the domestic demand for edible oil in the country besides the mandate of the State Government to contribute to the national economy by becoming a development partner in ensuring edible oil security of the country. The Minister Agriculture assured the farmers of all possible support of the State and the Central Government to ensure benefit for the Oil palm farmers. He further appealed all perspective Oil Palm farmers of the District and the State to take up Oil palm without any hesitation as the Oil palm crop has proven to be a success and a crop of interest in Lower Dibang valley and East Siang District. Highlighting the menace of wildlife and the importance of irrigation, the Papum Pare Oil Palm Growers’ Society submitted a memorandum to the Minister Agriculture requesting for inclusion of Solar fencing and provision of Irrigation facility for all Oil Palm plantations in the State in general and the Papum Pare District in particular.  
The farmers were informed of various assistance eligible under the ‘National Mission on Edible Oil- Oil Palm’ of the Government of India. Departmental officers briefed on the intervention of the State Government and the Government of India to mitigate the problem related to non-availability of fertilizers, the farmers were also informed of the State Government’s monthly announcement the rate of Oil Palm Fresh Fruit Bunches (FFBs) for buy-back of FFBs from farmers based on the formula price recommended by Government of India and also that the rates announced is in parity on rates with rest of India. 
It is to be mentioned that Arunachal Pradesh is estimated to have a potential area of about 1.33 lakh hectare suitable for Oil Palm cultivation along the foothill Districts of the State bordering Assam and the State Government has initiated the ambitious mission to undertake Oil palm area expansion of 40,000 hectare along the potential districts under Government of India’s central sector scheme of ‘National Mission on Edible Oil- Oil Palm’.    

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Kenter Joya Riba

(Managing Editor)
      She is a graduate in Science with post graduation in Sociology from University of Pune. She has been in the media industry for nearly a decade. Before turning to print business, she has been associated with radio and television.
Email: kenterjoyaz@easternsentinel.in / editoreasternsentinel@gmail.com
Phone: 0360-2212313

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