Manoj Singh || RUKSIN, Aug 31: The minister for Agriculture, Horticulture, Animal Busbendary and Dairy development,Tage Taki on Wednesday laid a foundation stone for Palm Oil processing mill at industrial growth centre (IGC) Niglok in East Siang district in presence of several eminient personality and huge gathering.
With the target of one lakh hectares of oil palm cultivation, the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Arunachal Pradesh Industrial Development Finance Corporation Limited (APIDFCL) and Patanjali Foods Limited (PFL) formerly known as Ruchi Soya Industries in the year 2014, 16 and 22 which covered 9 districts of the state such as East Siang, Pakke-Kessang, Papumpare, Kamle, Lower Siang, Lohit, Namsai, Changlang and Tirap.
As the majority population of the state is dependent upon the agriculture, the establishment of palm oil industry in the state would benefit farmers and generate employment out of unused land.
Stating out of 1lakhs hectares, Arunachal is ready to offer 40,000 hectares, Taki suggested the PFL to work on intercropping in oil palm plantation area. Adding that procuring of seeds from other country has become the major problems for the farmers to grow palm oil plant in the state so own nursery is needed theough seedlings. He said.
From the state government’s end, he urged upon the PFL to carry out a soil testing of farmers unused land prior to plantation of palm oil plant, so that fertility of soil could be known.
“Under the leadership of chief minister Pema Khandu, state government’s prime objective is to encourage and promote the farmer for sustainable life and to increase the economic condition thereby doubling the income,” Said Taki.
In meantime he appealed farmers of East Siang and others not to listen to the hearsay/misinformation spread against the palm oil plantation, production and marketing.
Assuring to hold a helping hand for the soil testing and survey of available land for palm oil plantation, Chairman PFL, Acharya Bal Krishna, said, 90 percent subsidy would be given to the farmers for growing/cultivation/production and irrigation etc of palm oil plantation. And to introduce buy back policy of intercrop productions, he added.
Being a major player in the oil palm sector for many years in 9 states of India, the PFL’s target is to provide benefits and employment not to run a business, at the same time production in our own ountey will reduce import and increase economy and sustainability and aatma nirbhar in oil Palm production. he added.
Informing that so far PFL have established nurseries at Pasighat and Hollongi and procured more than 500 tonnes of Fresh Fruit Bunches (FFB) from farmer of Arunachal, he further assured to make the state of Arunachal into a first natural farming state.
And PFL is committed to make the Palm Oil processing mill at industrial growth centre Niglok as the biggest one in the state, he added.
Later on Department of Agriculture & Farmer Welfare (DA & FW) joint secretary Shubha Thakur, Agriculture secretary Bidol Tayeng and Industry secretary Hage Tari also briefed about the technical part of farming.production, subsidy to farmers, rate fixation of the production and facts and figures of the policy and programmes of state and country.
They imparted a knowledge to the farmers regarding planting season and planting tips, irrigation in oil palm management, fertilizers in oil palm management and mixed cropping in adult oil palm management.
Pasilghat West MLA Ninong Ering, Pasighat East MLA Kaling Moyong, Melbourne MLA Lombo Tayeng, Agriculture Minister Advisor and Kanubari MLA Gabriel D Wangsu, APIDFCL Chairman Wanglong Rajkumar, Vice Chairman Boken Kino, East Siang DC Tai Taggu, SP, HoDs of various departments, senior officers of ICAR, Agriculture department and East Siang district, GBs, PRI leaders and a huge gathering was present on the occassion
