GUWAHATI:
Baba Ramdev’s Patanjali Group signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Nagaland government for oil palm production under the National Mission on Edible Oil – Oil Palm (NMEO-OP) on January 31.
The agreement was signed in Kohima between M Ben Yanthan, director of agriculture, Nagaland and Subhas Bhattacharjee, head-NE Region, Oil Palm of Patanjali Foods Ltd (Formerly known as Ruchi Soya Industries Ltd).
The agreement will help the Nagaland government with the development and area expansion under oil palm cultivation and processing for Zone-II (Mokokchung, Longleng and Mon districts).
“The MoU signing with the Nagaland government will certainly bring a big boost for the oil palm growers in the state and the region,” Subhas Bhattacharjee of Patanjali Foods Ltd (PFL) said after signing the agreement.
The Nagaland government has planned to expand the oil palm plantation area along the foothills of eight districts of the state.
“The cultivation will be based on a cluster mode. It has been divided into two zones. Districts like Peren, Dimapur, Chumoukdima, Niuland and Wokha are under the first zone while Mokokchung, Longleng and Mon districts come under Zone IIRonchamoKikon, programme officer-in charge of NMEO-OP, Nagaland.
The state has covered 5,423 hectares of area under oil palm cultivation under NMEO-OP.
“We are in the process of establishing seed gardens, nurseries and processing mills,” he added.
Patanjali Foods Ltd, having a turnover of more than Rs 24,000 crore during fiscal 2021-22 was allotted Zone II comprising districts of Mokokchung, Longleng and Mon where there is wide scope for oil palm plantations against an EOI released by the department recently.
Patanjali Foods Ltd is already working in Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and Tripura. In August 2022, PFL has laid the foundation for setting up an oil mill in the East Siang district at Niglok.
Another oil mill is proposed to come up in Lepah village in Langthlai district of Mizoram.
PFL has got two zones in Assam and another two zones in Tripura to take forward the oil mission.