Photo Courtesy: India Today Group
Guwahati: Assam cleared the way for oil palm farming on 5 percent of idle tea garden land. Agriculture Minister Pijush Hazarika shared the plan during a Guwahati stakeholder conference on October 26. The government intends to jumpstart horticulture and pad farmer paychecks. Officials hope this strategy cuts India's massive dependence on imported edible oils.
Hazarika dismissed fears regarding the crop's environmental footprint. He noted its thirst for water matches that of paddy. The minister stated, "Misconceptions about oil palm cultivation needed to be cleared."
The state aims to plant 15,000 hectares of oil palm within five years. Irrigation will reach 30,000 hectares in that same window. Plans prioritize the Barak Valley for mixed crops. To boost variety, the Agriculture Department will ship out saplings of areca nut, dragon fruit, and litchi. Starting next year, the state will supply five crore horticultural saplings annually. Owners of tea gardens will also tour Andhra Pradesh and Arunachal Pradesh to study farm techniques.
Oil palm offers a potential payday. Hazarika projects earnings hitting Rs 50,000 per bigha. He also tightened the screws on fertilizer suppliers. He warned against artificial shortages and price hikes. Dealers cannot force farmers to buy extra products. Legal consequences await anyone padding transportation costs or squeezing local retailers. The government demands farmers get subsidized fertilizers at fixed rates.
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