The Tripura government has planned to bring around 7,000 hectares of wasteland under oil palm cultivation by the 2026-27 financial year (FY'27), an official said on Friday.

Initially, the Centre had identified 7,000 hectares for oil palm cultivation in the state but the ICAR-Indian Institute of Oil Palm Research reassessment committee classified 1.46 lakh hectares as a potential area for such farming in 2020 through digital mapping.

"Under the National Mission on Edible Oil-Oil Palm (NMEO-OP), the state planned to bring at least 7,000 hectares of wasteland under oil palm cultivation by the 2026-27 financial year. The state has a favourable agro-climate for palm cultivation. Accordingly, we are working rigorously to achieve the target," Horticulture and Soil Conservation Department's Director P B Jamatia told PTI.

He said the department has selected two processors as technical associated partners- Godrej Agrovet Pvt Ltd and Patanjali Foods Pvt Ltd -for implementation of the national mission and allotted areas to these companies.

Jamatia said Godrej Agrovet has already set up an oil palm nursery at Nalkata in Dhalai district where 1.55 lakh of both exotic and indigenous type seedlings will be produced.

Patanjali Foods has also established another oil palm nursery at Jumerdepa in Sepahijala district for producing seedlings, he said.Claiming that oil palm cultivation will be beneficial for the rural people in future, Jamatia said beneficiaries could grow intercrops like vegetables, papaya, turmeric, cocoa, ginger, bush pepper, banana and pineapples. Intercropping is a sustainable agricultural practice that involves growing multiple crops simultaneously in the same field.

Jamatia said the Centre has released Rs 5.14 crore as its share while the state has released Rs 51.41 lakh for oil palm cultivation during the 2022-23 financial year.