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Pawar Asks NE Region to Take up Palm Oil Cultivation
Pawar Asks NE Region to Take up Palm Oil Cultivation
28/11/2013 (Hindu Business Line) - The north eastern states need to take up palm oil cultivation in a big way to reduce India's dependence on edible oil imports and to benefit the farmers in the region, the Agriculture Minister, Sharad Pawar said today.
“The country had to import edible oil worth more than Rs 63,000 crore last year, whereas the north eastern region has a huge potential in oil palm cultivation,” Pawar said at the conference of agriculture and horticulture ministers of north eastern states in Gangtok.
Urging them to take up the cultivation of the commodity in a bigger way, he said that so far only Mizoram has been promoting palm oil cultivation, while Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland have recently evinced interest in this sector.
According to an official release, on the setting up of a model horticulture centre to provide impetus to the floriculture sector in this region, Pawar said that Sikkim has emerged as a hub for Cymbidium orchids with the dedicated agri-export zone for this flower.
He said the government is committed to further develop the Central Institute of Horticulture, set up in Nagaland in 2005, as a centre of excellence in the region and urged all north eastern states to avail the service of this facility.
The north eastern region holds tremendous potential for agricultural growth, Pawar said, adding that the Centre proposes to set up one College of Horticulture each in Mizoram and in Sikkim, College of Food Technology in Manipur, College of Agriculture in Meghalaya and College of Veterinary Science in Nagaland.
He also asked these states in the region to make the best use of funds under various agricultural schemes.
Over Rs 850 crore has been allocated to these states under the Rashtriya Krishi Vikash Yojana (RKVY) this year. The north eastern states are covered under RKVY for rice, he said, adding that funds have also been given under the National Horticulture Mission and other schemes.
“The country had to import edible oil worth more than Rs 63,000 crore last year, whereas the north eastern region has a huge potential in oil palm cultivation,” Pawar said at the conference of agriculture and horticulture ministers of north eastern states in Gangtok.
Urging them to take up the cultivation of the commodity in a bigger way, he said that so far only Mizoram has been promoting palm oil cultivation, while Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland have recently evinced interest in this sector.
According to an official release, on the setting up of a model horticulture centre to provide impetus to the floriculture sector in this region, Pawar said that Sikkim has emerged as a hub for Cymbidium orchids with the dedicated agri-export zone for this flower.
He said the government is committed to further develop the Central Institute of Horticulture, set up in Nagaland in 2005, as a centre of excellence in the region and urged all north eastern states to avail the service of this facility.
The north eastern region holds tremendous potential for agricultural growth, Pawar said, adding that the Centre proposes to set up one College of Horticulture each in Mizoram and in Sikkim, College of Food Technology in Manipur, College of Agriculture in Meghalaya and College of Veterinary Science in Nagaland.
He also asked these states in the region to make the best use of funds under various agricultural schemes.
Over Rs 850 crore has been allocated to these states under the Rashtriya Krishi Vikash Yojana (RKVY) this year. The north eastern states are covered under RKVY for rice, he said, adding that funds have also been given under the National Horticulture Mission and other schemes.