HT Correspondent
DONGKAMUKAM, July 11: A Ceremonial Mega Oil Palm Plantation Drive cum awareness and distribution programme was held on Friday at Rongjangmi, a remote village near Kuthepi in West Karbi Anglong district.
The event was organised by the Department of Agriculture, Hamren, in collaboration with Godrej Agrovet Ltd, Silchar, with the aim of promoting oil palm cultivation among local farmers.
Related Posts:
According to officials, the programme drew active participation from farmers and was attended by key officials including District Agriculture Officer (DAO) Gunjon Dutta, State Nodal Head of Godrej Agrovet Ltd Anand Pandey, District Nodal Officer Mirjeng Terang, Agricultural Development Officer (ADO) of Dongkamukam Circle Olivina Katharpi, and District Incharge of West Karbi Anglong and Sribhumi (Karimganj) Shyam Shekhar Singha.
Addressing the gathering, DAO Gunjon Dutta informed the farmers that oil palm cultivation could yield substantial returns, with an estimated income ranging between ₹40,000 to ₹70,000 per bigha starting from the fourth year of plantation.
He added that while oil palm cultivation had already begun in Karbi Anglong through initiatives sponsored by Patanjali, in West Karbi Anglong, 50 saplings have been provided by Godrej Agrovet Ltd as part of a pilot project to be implemented over 500 hectares this year.
Although government agencies are indirectly involved, the initiative is being executed in close coordination with private sector stakeholders.
Dutta further stated that Goalpara district was the first in Assam to implement oil palm cultivation successfully, while Karbi Anglong and West Karbi Anglong experienced a delay of nearly three years due to unavoidable circumstances.
He assured that a farmers’ delegation would be taken to Mizoram to gain practical exposure to the cultivation practices already being followed there.
As part of the initiative, interested farmers were assured of various financial supports, including ₹3,000 per hectare for land clearing, ₹6,250 per hectare for inter-cropping, ₹4,000 per hectare for bio-fencing, ₹15,000 per unit for vermicomposting, and ₹10,000 for cattle farming.
Encouraging youth participation, Dutta urged local farmers not to seek employment outside the state in places like Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, or Maharashtra.
He expressed confidence that, if successful, oil palm cultivation could lead to the establishment of a processing industry in the district, creating local employment and economic development opportunities.
