Arunachal: AAPOPFA raises concern for oil palm growers in the state
Oil palm farmers from East Siang district and other district unit office bearers from across Arunachal Pradesh participated to address their common concern in growing Oil palm in the state.
PASIGHAT ( By Maksam Tayeng )- All Arunachal Pradesh Oil Palm Farmers’ Association (AAPOPFA) raised concern for oil palm growers in the state, during it’s 2nd general body meeting here at Siang Guest House, Pasighat today.
Oil palm farmers from East Siang district and other district unit office bearers from across Arunachal Pradesh participated to address their common concern in growing Oil palm in the state.
While addressing to media after their meeting, AAPOPFA General Secretary, Tana Jasap said that the oil palm growers in the state are facing several key issues which need to be addressed by the government and the 3F company and others who are to buy the oil palm produces from the farmers and process the supplied produces on time to avoid loss of weight of FFB.
Due to delay in processing and keeping the FFB in the factory for longer periods the weight of the fruits gets reduced which is a huge loss for the farmers.
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“Oil Palm farmers in the state are having concern on the low fresh fruit bunches (FFB) prices and we request the state government to review the rate so that farmers do not end up with huge losses, as there has been several investments in cultivating the palm plant”
While AAPOPFA President, Hormin Camdir Teli said “we are also worried about the collection centre issue, companies are not collecting the produce from the field and produce delivered by farmers in the company are left thrown in open areas for some days which is a kind of harassment to the farmers.
The Govt. of India has introduced oil palm plantation schemes in India to start producing palm oil in India to benefit the farmers of the country instead of spending huge money (nearly Rs. 60,000 to 70,000 crores) in procuring palm oil from Malaysia and Indonesia under National Mission on Edible Oil-Oil Palm.
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With the oil palm Fresh Fruit bunch (FFB) prices showing a declining trend across the country, farmers of the state are becoming restive. The FFB that fetched over Rs.18,000 per ton some years ago, now commands a price of only Rs.13,700 per ton. Any further drop in the prices would leave the farmers at crossroads, as the oil palm is a perennial crop with a life cycle of over 25 years.
Given the huge investments involved they cannot be expected to switch over to other crops overnight. The agriculture department has identified approximately 1.26 lakh hectares in East Siang, Lower Siang, Kamle, Papumpare, Pakke Kessang, Lower Dibang Valley, Namsai, Tirap and Changlang for oil palm cultivation across the state.
