Arunachal: Darang inaugurates Pasigat block CHC office of CHG to promote oil palm cultivation
PASIGHAT ( Maksam Tayeng )- In a bid to promote and encourage Oil Palm cultivation in the district, government aided office of Custom Hiring Centre (CHC) Pasighat block managed by the Custom Harvesting Group (CHG), was inaugurated by Tapi Darang, MLA 38th Pasighat East amidst the presence of District Agriculture Officer, Opang Moyong, CHC Chairman, Dr. Otem Yomsu, Secretary Kaku Moyong, Patanjali Foods Ltd. Manager, Pawan Kumar and oil palm farmers from the Pasighat block.
While speaking to the oil palm growers and farmers after inaugurating the office of CHC meant for the oil palm farmers, Darang said that more and more farmers should take up growing oil palm which is giving good economical returns to the farmers.
“Since the Oil palm factory here in the district at Industrial Growth Centre, Niglok near Ruksin is operational, the farmers should start cultivating oil palm on a large scale. I have heard that Mrs Miti Megu Perme who is a successful oil palm grower in the district has now started earning an income of around 16-17 Lakhs annually due to which the state’s Agriculture Minister has also visited her oil palm field. So, I request all the farmers of East Siang including the farmers of the state to start cultivating oil palm even by using the barren and waste lands so that the cultivation benefits our people”, added Darang.
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Darang also urged the state government to allocate more funds for the oil palm and other crop farmers of the district, as Pasighat and East Siang being suitable agricultural areas because of its plain areas, farmers’ need the government’s support for more crop yield and production.
District Agriculture Officer, Opang Moyong informed that the CHC office was funded by the government with an amount of Rupees Twenty Five Lakhs (Rs. 25,00,000) as one time grant-in-aid for the farmers of oil palm cultivation under National Mission on Edible Oils-Oil Palm (NMEO-OP) scheme for purchasing farm machineries items like Tractors, harvesting tools etc. The CHC being managed by the CHG will use the machinery to help the poor oil palm farmers at a lower rate.
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While CHC Chairman, Dr. Otem Yomso informed that the centre has just started today and half of the machineries have already been purchased and rest will be also purchased. CHC will help our oil palm farmers in giving farm machineries like tractors, grass cutters, chainsaws etc on hiring basis with nominal charges, as small and marginal new oil palm farmers can’t afford hiring tractors and other machineries and we will help them, added Yomso.
He also said that oil palm cultivation is the best cash crop cultivation with monthly harvesting of oil palm fruit bunches and so more farmers should opt for cultivating oil palm. Mrs Miti Megu Perme and Mrs Yalem Taga Burang, both as progressive oil farm farmers, also shared their experience of growing oil palm and suggested others grow oil palm.
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Meanwhile Patanjali Foods Ltd. Arunachal unit Manager, Pawan Kumar also informed that the production has already started at its factory in IGC Niglok and they need more and more fresh fruit bunches from farmers.
“The oil palm growing is hugely beneficial for the farmers, as all the parts of oil palm, like its fruits, leaves, branches are all useful and nothing goes to waste.
The plus point of Arunachal is that, the state receives huge rainfall and this helps good growing of oil palm which benefits the oil palm farmers. We are in talks with a Malaysian company which will provide basic tools for the farmers with government subsidy for oil palm cultivation”, added Kumar.
