The initiative aims to uplift farming communities and contribute to India’s self-reliance on edible oils
3F Oil Palm in association with the Assam government, recently organised a ceremonial plantation of Oil Palm under the National Mission on Edible Oil – Oil Palm (NMEO-OP) at Bokanala in Assam’s Lakhimpur district. State Agriculture Department and 3F Oil Palm mark the first Oil Palm Plantation under the NMEO-OP in Assam.
“The initiative aims to uplift farming communities and contribute to India’s self-reliance on edible oils. It emphasises the government’s commitment to the development and progress of the Oil Palm Plantation sector,” according to the official statement.
The ceremony is being hosted by 3F Oil Palm, a leading player in the Oil Palm industry that has already established a state-of-the-art oil palm nursery at Bokulbari village in Lakhimpur district and another nursery in the pipeline at Chirang.
In recognition of their commitment towards the Oil Palm development and processing industry, 3F Oil Palm has already signed an MOU with the Assam government in December 2022 and aims to develop Oil Palm plantations and processing facilities in sub-zone 1-b and V-a, encompassing Lakhimpur and Chirang districts, as part of the NMEO-OP, the statement added.
Sanjay Goenka, Managing Director and CEO of 3F Oil Palm said, “The ceremonial plantation of Oil Palm under the NMEO-OP is a significant step towards the development of the Oil Palm industry in the state of Assam. It gives me immense pride to note that upon signing the MoU with the government in December 2022, we are the first company to have commenced our investment and set up a state-of-the-art nursery and commence plantation activities through this ceremonial plantation.
“We are committed to contributing to the progress of this sector in Assam and we aim to cover over 20,000 Ha of the area under Oil Palm over the next 5 years”
3F Oil Palm has ambitious plans to develop 23,500 hectares of Oil Palm plantations over the next five years, the statement added. The company already has an upcoming greenfield integrated Oil Palm processing unit in Arunachal Pradesh.
